The Art of Warm Fuzzies
by Zeraphie
Summary: Robin and Kid Flash are in love. Sorta. Everyone else thinks so, anyway. KidFlashxRobin/WallyxDick. Slash.
1. Errands

_Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice._

**Errands.**

Certain types of girls had certain interests in lanky dudes.

Wally considered himself a smooth talker (because, well, look at him. He was smoking!), and managed to woo many people with his charm. A lot of people said he was happy-go-lucky, and maybe even a bit of an idiot, but hey, someone had to be the class clown, right? Superboy was like their own little Batman – brooding, serious, and – really? The guy was overwhelmed with many of his emotions, proven from the whole Mister Twister incident and…well, in general.

It was a good idea not to get the big lug angry. Kaldur held seriousness with a different approach, and most of the time, Wally viewed him like the older brother he never had. M'gann was hot. Like, _seriously hot. _Then there was Robin. Despite the fact they'd known each other for years, he still didn't know the identity of the little guy, and it was a question his mind ran through at least once a day.

Well, when getting girls, it wasn't much of a problem. In M'gann's case, his competitors were obvious: the brooding, loner bad boy (but that was like, pedophiliac, wasn't it? Supes was only twenty-weeks-old!), and the gentle, calm boy-next-door. Wally had a theory he could get any girl he wanted, and he had some pretty badass qualities himself. Supes may have been a bad boy, but hey! He could run circles around that kid, _any time, any place._ A smile working on the faces of Kaldur or Superboy was like the possibility of seeing a…a…a _Martian eclipse!_

But he, oh, _Wally_ smiled all the time. Catching a smile with him made the girls who knew him jump and squeal with delight. Given in Robin's defense, the kid probably picked up girls _his age, _but Wally definitely was champion.

Because of that arrogance and a little bit of irritation, Wally—_not donning the Kid Flash outfit_—found himself in Gotham City, testing out his theory right after school thanks to his uncle-slash-mentor. With an unceremonious halt, Uncle Barry had stopped the speedster, assigning him the odd errand to "buy chips" from Bruce Wayne. Bruce Wayne! The billion-dollar playboy himself! How on earth could one refuse an offer like that?

Then again… "A mansion at the top of a hill. How hard is it to find a mansion at the _top of a freaking hill_?" A groan escaped the lips of one Wallace West, and he looked around with much disdain where very few kids his age littered the streets of Gotham City. He pulled out a wrinkled paper, which he crumpled the moment Barry handed it to him in excitement of meeting the celebrity playboy of Wayne Industries.

A little tattered from jumbling around in Wally's clothes, the paper revealed a proper address, but the nitty-gritty hustle-and-bustle of Gotham made Central City topple over in fear and the ink faded. Policemen were tense, gunshots could be heard in broad daylight—_damn, Robin and Batman definitely had their hands full._ Much respect was given to the pair, and Wally admittedly shivered when he changed into civilian clothes, taken off guard by a disturbing laugh in the background.

Goggles replacing the empty space where his little sliver of confusion used to be, Wally walked the streets of Gotham, having been asked twice already (well, more like yelled, frisked, and demanded of) why he wasn't still in school. Hmm, speaking of school, right after visiting Mr. Wayne, he would have to go to some dark alley and see if Robby was there.

Distraught from walking in circles for at least two minutes now, the speedster heaved a heavy sigh and settled on a merry-go-round. It wasn't that he _couldn't_ go all Kid Flash and run through the city, but the chances of running into Batman kinda crept him out—despecially without Boy Wonder at his side. Robin would write a long book one day. Wally grinned. He could just see it now – _HALLOWEEN EVERY DAY. A LIFE WITH THE BAT._

Hmm. He wondered if Batman could sparkle.

Then shivered, concluding it was one thought his psyche wasn't prepared for.

_RIIIIIIIING._

Wally jumped three feet in the air, ready for combat before falling over when little kids that barely went up to his knee ran about and rudely shoved him off the merry-go-round.

"You little—!" Pssh, he saved little kids every day and still, he didn't get any respect. Wally harrumphed, arms folding angrily as he pouted like a child to the kindergartners. A string of pretty words was ready to leave his lips, ready to lift one of the little buggers over his head and throw them out yelling, 'I'm the king of the castle, losers!' when a high-pitched scream caught his attention.

"You big meanie!"

"Huh? OW!" Wally dropped the little dolly he'd been holding with one hand the moment its sassy owner kicked him in the shin. She grabbed the ugly little thing, and Wally made a mental note to spook her the next time he was in Batman's territory. Shaking off such a sissy kick, the teenager sped without thinking to the west wing of the school, where the elementary school stuff lacked, replaced with academics and a bicycle rack.

Wait, the school was attached? Hmm, now that the thought was there, he did remember Barry saying Gotham had well-educated people. Oh, the irony. Once he caught the source of the scream, it was so obvious that the kid speedster had to roll his eyes. A bunch of _freshmen_ harassing a school of middleschoolers—or, more specifically, kids who used to be the big guy on campus that were now small fries. Same story, same situation.

A group of three hung by the fountain, one on his bum, while the other two were obviously girls. There were two other guys, highschoolers that were probably only an inch or two shorter than Wally himself, and the latter felt his stomach lurched. God, when were school bullies gonna learn? Like a bad rerun of Leave it to Beaver (Or, you know, a really really good one), the freshman with acne breaking across his nose lifted the boy up by his ankles and began shaking him. The girls startled screaming, the boy looked like he was about to vomit, and Wally "accidentally" pulled out his trusty leg when the pair made a run in his direction.

Mischievous grin spreading across the teenager's lips, he snickered, quick to reveal himself with an elegant bow from behind the building before immediately grabbing the stolen money, what appeared to be a makeup bag (well, come on. What kind of thug powdered his nose?) and—Wally froze.

"Oh, _ew_." He pulled his hand away, feeling absolutely violated as he backed away, disgusted. The two moronic kids moaned, but it was obvious they wouldn't be getting up for a while.

"That was a really bad fall!"

"Tree's fallen, but the tent's still there." To prove his point, Wally rubbed the disgusting warmth from his hand. Who the hell wanted to touch a _boner_? Suddenly grinning, he remembered his time and place, turning around to the two girls, who immediately backed away with identical expressions. Oh, middle school girls~ They fell for any high school guy they could see! "I take it the makeup bag belongs to one of you?"

"Y…yeah," stammered the one with blond hair. A deep blush ran across her face, and she held her hands out with a loud, nervous giggle. Yup, Wally was just _that _amazing. "My name's Dani. With an 'I'. This is, uh, Veronica, and that one's Dick."

Veronica, Dani, and…Dick. Dani was the one with blond hair, and Veronica had to be the one with brown hair, because Dick could so not be a girl's name. Flashing another smile, Wally looked between the pair of girls before his eyes landed in the middle, where – whoa.

_Pretty_ blue eyes. Wally blinked, feeling like he was seeing a ghost of Robin himself. Almost. A boyish grin rested across the other boy's face, glimmering like the twinkles in his bright blue eyes. Unlike Robin, whose black hair was an organized mess, the shorter's face was prim and proper. For a kid looking no more than thirteen, this kid dressed in fancy-schmancy clothes. _Hollister? American Eagle?_ Then—_hmm, back on those eyes…_

"Are you gonna stare at me all day?" The small boy said, voice cracking with the first sign of puberty, and held a hand out. "Or are you gonna introduce yourself? Dick Grayson."

"Wally West." Wait, did his suave, super sexy voice just crack _too_? Pull yourself together, West! The more he tried to keep his sanity, the less the redhead teen seemed to have a grapple on his own emotions. Granted, Grayson appeared as one of those scrawny little kids without anything interesting—if it was anything else.

Dick appeared to have a lean build, muscles forming from some type of sport, but his size put him at a disadvantage, which was how the fresh meat must have gotten to him. But _damn_, those legs were long, slender, and in about ten years, that butt was gonna be firm.

Before Wally had the chance to make an idiot of himself yet again, he snapped out of his thoughts with a boyish grin of his own and shook hands with the younger boy. Dick beamed and—_wow, what a smile_—Wally wiggled his eyebrows back before handing him the money. Veronica and Dani giggled again before whispering something in the dark-haired boy's ears. Dick hunched over, ears turning bright pink before regaining a playful demeanor.

"You're from Central City, right?"

Whoa. "Good guess. What makes you think that?"

A perfect smile spread across Dick's face as he took a step forward and gestured to Wally's windbreaker. "You're wearing a pin that says so."

"Oh. Well, yeah." Wally scratched his head, impish grin curtsying across his lips. "I'm running an errand for my uncle, gotta meet up with Bruce Way—oh, _crap!_"

"What?" Dani flashed a look of concern, immediately hovering over a disgruntled Dick.

"I lost the paper with the damn address! Uncle Barry's gonna have a conniption!" A groan escaped the lips of one distressed redhead, but the trio appeared unfazed. Dick's eyebrows rose under his hairline in surprise, and again, Dani and Veronica shared a loud giggle.

"Mr. Wayne, right?" Veronica squealed with delight and violently shook the little guy's arm. "You know who this is, right? Dick's Mr. Wayne's _adopted son_!"

"Totally!"

"I can take you to go see Bruce," Dick assured. He smiled goofily and gestured to some random street. "If you don't mind walking."

"Oh God, yes." On cue, the tallest teenager checked his phone and noticed the text message from his mentor, who was probably asking why the heck he was taking so long. Well, if _someone _didn't scare the balls off of him and would rip him to shreds the moment KF made his unceremonious appearance, maybe it wouldn't take this long! On the bright side… He looked at both girls, who were obviously a lot taller than Dick himself. At least he got to meet some girls who totally found him hot. Theory proven? Oh, heck yes.

"Bye, Dick." Veronica waved to the petite boy, all smiles, before both she and her friend kissed Wally on his cheeks. "Thanks _so_ much for stopping those bullies, Wally. You're so cool."

"Thanks." Wally flashed a silly grin, and with one last giggle, Veronica and Dani were off, leaving Dick and he in silence. Man, girls were so cute.

"You ready to go?"

"Hmm? Yeah. Man, I'm starved." Wally looked back to Dick, eyes scrutinizing the petite boy as they began a path along the sidewalk.

Dick laughed, and…wow. Just that laugh…it was really, really…tingly. "It's this way. Bruce'll probably have some snacks for you. Nothing promised."

Hm. Bruce Wayne, and… wait. He was _that_ Dick Grayson? The hinge to Wally's jaw seemingly broke with shock, and he trotted after Dick like a little puppy. Or, he thought more jokingly, a giant golden retriever following its five-year-old owner. If Dick suddenly noticed something off kilter with him, then he didn't show it, and Wally decided best to bring a different subject in the light. "You're such a pimp. How does a pipsqueak like you score two babes like those?"

"Dani and Ronny?" Dick shrugged and awkwardly scratched his arm. Wally's breath hitched, and he looked into starry blue eyes, throat going dry because seriously. They were just that pretty. "They're classmates of mine, and those guys were just being jerks. We're not that close."

"So you're single?" Whoa, Walls. Keep _that_ head in your pants.

"Who says you gotta be either single or dating?" The dark-haired teenager shrugged nonchalantly without batting an eyelash. "You're either dating or not dating. Let's just say I'm not cootied. Though, I could totally be cootying if I wanted to—Cootying with me would be awesome."

"Oh, puh-lease." There was something about this kid Wally liked. He laughed and nudged the boy in his arm. "I bet you've never kissed anyone."

"Oh, I've kissed someone." A matching demeanor spread across Dick's face, making Wally feel more like he was with the Boy Wonder than he already did. "I've kissed _your mom._"

"Very funny." And it kinda was. Maybe it was just the lighting or something, or those eyes were just seriously getting to him, but Wally found himself smitten. Who cared if he couldn't find Wayne Industries by himself, Dick was kinda cool. Okay. _Really_ cool. "So you tried fending off against those punks by yourself, eh? Just a regular Boy Wonder, now aren't you?"

They came to a halt, but apparently Dick found something funny in that. Mirth shimmered in his complexion, and Wally felt tingly again. Dick had fair, perfect skin, and his eyes were as big as an owl's at night. He reminded the redhead of a porcelain doll with long eyelashes and an airbrushed blush that looked natural. "Something like that."

"That _is_ what Gotham City's known for, isn't it?" Excitement almost blinding his better judgment, Wally jumped in front of Dick as slow as he possibly could—which was fast in apparent time. In his opinion, anyway. "The Dark Knight and his sidek—partner?"

A slender black eyebrow cocked in the air, and the black-haired teenager's demeanor fluttered into indifference once more. "Mostly the Batman. The Flash comes from Central City though, right?"

"Yup. He's totally cool—but man, he's no Kid Flash." Who was he if he didn't get to embellish a little? "The Flash totally wins in a race with Superman. I can vouch for that."

"I bet the Bat is smarter than Superman."

"I bet the Bat is smarter than Obi-Wan Kenobi."

"Ooh," and Dick cringed, creating a hiccup in their fast-paced rhythm. "I think _I_ can vouch for that one."

They shared a mutual laugh, and Wally reminded himself not to let his guard down _too_ much. Under the mischievous streak of one Dick Grayson, the kid held a mischievous allure that made his entire body want to burst with excitement. He knew he had a tendency to think with his emotions rather than his brain, and often it got him into trouble. Need he be reminded of the Kobra incident?

So instead, Wally restrained himself, the scowl of one dark cowl seriously raping his mind. And…ugh, Batman raping him sounded painful. And must have involved a lot of leather. Hm, was Batman the kinky type? Sidetracked, Dick apparently took the initiative for the both of them and continued their conversation in the miniscule second Wally was thinking. "Why do you need to see Bruce?"

"For my Uncle Barry." Wally shrugged, not missing the next beat as he looked through his pockets and then his phone. Suddenly his eyes widened, and he shoved it back in a pocket before Dick _hopefully_ didn't notice. "He, uh, is a friend of Bruce Wayne, I'm guessing. Just told me to run up to Gotham City and pick something up for him."

"'Run up'?" Dick leaned forward, eyes shimmering with a trait all too familiar with Wally, but he couldn't place where he'd seen it before. "What do you mean by '_run up_'? Your uncle would just send his nephew all the way from Kansas to meet Bruce Wayne, unsupervised?"

Oh, crap. "Uh, I mean, I've been staying here for a while. With a relative or something, you know?" Then… "How do you know I'm from Kansas?"

"I'm good in geography."

"Right." Deciding the answer was crap, and concluding that little problem wasn't worth it, Wally could only shiver at the message given to his phone: _Where are you?_ Batman texted him. Well, Bats texting him was a little bit more than funny (he liked to think Boy Wonder was standing next to a chalkboard and teaching his mentor via board how to text. That, after all, would be most epic.), but even just in text, the Dark Knight was more than scary.

Their walk ended up silent for the most part, but that fact had gone unnoticed by the redhead. Instead, the speedster worried a little – it was a quarter to four, and by now everyone would be at Mount Justice awaiting exciting orders from Batman, or Black Canary would be training them. Did anyone _else _on the team notice the way her boobs jiggled when she kicked? _Seriously!_

If Dick noticed he was currently facing inner turmoil, he didn't mention it. "Alright, we're here."

Wayne Industries turned out to be the tallest building in Gotham City. "Your father _works_ here?"

"He owns it. Duh." There was little maturity in the way Grayson spoke. Instead, the younger teenager smirked and walked into the building, going past security without having to be checked. Wally, on the other hand, was not as lucky.

"Hold it, kid."

"Yeah?" Wally looked up to the man—er, woman—only a few inches taller than him. The detector went off, irritatingly reciting a high-pitched beep that the speedster thought was a little bit too much, even _if_ the Wayne Fortune was world-famous. "It could be talking about the foil wrappers on my candy bars, and—"

"Empty your pockets."

"Right. Sure." So, there went his house key, three pennies, Aunt Iris's coin pouch, his bus pass (what the hell was he carrying a bus pass for?), three aluminum-foil candy bar wrappers, four aluminum-foil, still-wrapped candies, and—oh, shit. His goggles. Staring at his goggles, Wally nervously bit his lip and looked to Dick, who looked absolutely amused that he was emptying his pockets of some very important items. Quickly he dumped them in a bin and went through the security alarm yet again.

_BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP _–

"Take your shoes off."

"Can't you just, like, scan me—"

"No. Take your shoes off." Well, weren't _we_ strict? An unfavorable pout spread across the speedster's face and he took his shoes off before going through the detector _once again._

_BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP –_

"Dammit!"

Ten minutes later found Wally drawing the line in getting out of his boxers and Dick childishly rolling on the floor, laughing. The elder teenager blushed, humiliated, but he wasn't going to let it show. Finally, with just a shred of dignity left and a yelp when the inspector dropped a cold finger between skin and the elastic of his boxers, the speedster slapped her hand away, hurriedly dressed, and nearly super-sped toward the elevator, ultimately leaving Dick behind. Wally looked in both directions before quickly putting his shoes on. A sigh of relief escaped his lips. Rob and Bats must have seriously gotten tired of protecting Bruce Wayne if the security was so tight.

"You're a fast runner."

"OH MY GOD DON'T DO THAT." The redhead jumped in the air for the second (well, third) time that afternoon, head spinning in chaos as he gathered his psyche and caught his breath. Where the hell did Dick learn how to Robin-pop out of every freaking direction?

The smaller teenager laughed, and the feeling swelled in Wally's chest once again. He panted, overreaction lost as he watched Dick laugh like a small kid before laughing himself. There were a few things, yes, Wally had contemplated once getting to know this kid. Like Robin, Dick had thick black hair, but it was common in the League. Captain Marvel had it, Superman had it, Wonder Woman had it—and, eh. Black hair and blue eyes were cool, but how many people got to dress up like a leprechaun for St. Patrick's Day?

With a hyperactive demeanor, Robin took well to the adrenaline of crime fighting, and Batman's approval was a must-have. Dick, though…man, having a father like Bruce Wayne must have been easy. Wally relished this fact, remembering all the news he'd heard about the man. Dick must have been spoiled or something.

A bit of rationality returning, Wally flashed a smile while Dick pressed a button on the elevator, and puffed his chest out. "You like what you see?"

The boy grinned, and Wally wondered faintly if at thirteen he, too, was as intelligent as Dick. Probably not. Definitely not like Robin. "I think I saw your pubes."

"Well. Now you know my red hair is natural." Wally harrumphed and ran a hand through said hair. "Oh. And at least I _have_ pubes."

The door dinged, and they stepped out the elevator onto the top floor of Wayne Industries. Wally looked back and forth between hallways, intimidated by the mass of the building. It was _nothing_ like Uncle Barry's lab. Less explosives. Or more, considering what Wayne Industries built and all. A large door awaited them only four feet from the elevator made of glass. Bruce Wayne sat at the far side of the floor, head lowered in what appeared to be a mass of paper work, and there was no hesitation as Dick opened the door and let himself in, Wally following.

"Bruce. You've got a visitor."

And, _wow._ For a moment, the boy speedster forgot there was absolutely no blood relation between one Dick Grayson and Bruce Wayne, even if they had the freaky black-hair-and-blue-eyes thing working for 'em. Bruce Wayne looked absolutely _sexy_, especially when he looked up, eyes filled with some curiosity, and an underbelly of something else. He smiled gently, maybe even a little cluelessly (which was kind of adorable and made Wally's pants tighten) to Wally. To Wally, of all people!

If Dick turned out to look anything like his adopted father in twenty years, then it was twenty years worth waiting for. Most definitely.

Then the strangest thing happened. Wally felt a shift in Dick, who appeared quite nervous when that playboy grin disappeared, replaced with an intimidating glower that almost made Wally pee his pants. Boy was he in the right of mind when deciding to wear two pairs of underwear that day. Or any underwear at all.

Why on earth was he getting a glare like that? Dick shifted, undeterred by a menacing leer, and arched an eyebrow. "Bruce, this is Wally. He says his Uncle told him to run an errand for you."

"I see." And with that, the sudden anger washed away, replaced with a much nicer look. "Barry is your uncle?"

"Yupsirree." Wally nervously smiled, looking back and forth between both Bruce and Dick, where the pair shared a silent conversation. He waited for a milli-moment, eyes checking out everything possible about Bruce Wayne. The man was easy on the eyes, luster in his orbs, but an undeniable hint of strictness in his tone, most likely to commandeer his ward's antics. Ward? The speedster froze in his thoughts. What part of his mind suddenly dubbed Dick as Mr. Wayne's _ward_?

"Dick, will you leave us alone?"

"Are you gonna kill him?'

"Mm." Oh, _yes._ That smile was just utterly delectable, and Wally was sure by now he was simply drooling at Bruce Wayne's analyzing, _sexy_ manner. "We'll see. Why don't you run off with your…little friends? I'll dismiss Wally once I'm done?"

"Alright." _What?_

Suddenly downcast, Wally pouted and turned his head to an all-too amused Dick Grayson. He looked down to the shrimp, noticing immediately the younger's goofy little smile, and couldn't believe it. "Will I get to see you again?"

Suddenly the redhead was reminded of earlier, when the two girls whispered and giggled into Dick's ears, and immediately the dark-haired teenager's cheekbones brushed with a light pink, apparently taken aback by something Wally'd done. Well, he later contemplated, he'd always been a little forward when making friends. Shifting uncomfortably between both feet, the middleschooler cracked a short laugh and offered a hand. "We'll see. Bye, Wally."

"Bye." Once the door shut behind them, Wally returned his attention to an undaunted Mr. Wayne, whose smile did not quake. Still, the speedster gulped, feeling less surreptitious than his wit normally carried. "So, um. Is this where I get the third degree from the overprotective 'Pops'?"

**xxxxx**

The lesson of the week for Robin was 'patience.'

According to his royal highness, because of his affiliation with the team, parts of his personality were beginning to spike again—certain parts that were making the whole 'secret-identity' thing not so secret. Well, what did Batman _expect_? Dick grumbled to himself, ironically brooding like the caped crusader himself behind his thick glasses. While the three-foot fall from bully-to-ground wasn't that big, it was the overall _idea_ that he, Dick Grayson, was supposed to play _weakling_ for ditsy Bruce-freaking-Wayne.

Sadly, no matter how he insisted on griping, orders were orders, and Bruce was Bruce. Dick lamented, quickly passing the gates of the Wayne Manor as the begrudging feeling tugged at the bottom of his heart, torn between a smile and a frown across his lips.

Duping Wally? Totally cool. For like, two seconds-to-three hours if it was a practical joke.

Seeing how Wally acted, outside the business with Young Justice like a normal kid? Not just a normal kid, but one who thought Dick was just another person on the street, and with no doubt, Wally felt their connection. Keeping up the act that Dick didn't know Wally was _hard work_, especially creating a persona like this! Suddenly a laugh escaped his lips, free from the restraint Dick forced in fear the speedster would recognize who he was.

Obviously, the friendship between Dick Grayson and Wally West would have to be clipped before it got too far—especially if later down the road, Dick would get Bruce's approval to reveal who he really was. "Hi, Alfred."

"Master Richard," greeted the butler without batting an eyelash. "Trouble in school?"

"I had to pretend to be wimpy, all so the big guy wouldn't get on my case about secret identities." Dick threw his backpack to the chair and swung his legs above the table. "Me! Wimpy? Do you know of anything _more absurd than that?_"

"Not at all." A ghost of a smile spread across Alfred's face, and he went about the kitchen before whipping up what Dick assumed would be his ice cream sundae. "Anything else bothering you, Master Richard?"

"Not…really." Though he was thinly reminded of all the sitcoms where the butler was part of the family like an uncle or something. Aside from Bruce, Alfred _was_ family. "Nothing I can't handle. Just…KF."

The look that abashed Wally's abnormally large ego that afternoon surprised the Boy Wonder. With no doubt, just seeing how Wally acted in a typical fashion away from the masks was…interesting. Obviously the quirk and charm was still there, along with a few minor blemishes Dick couldn't help but point out. Wally was hopeless!

However.

Kaldur was most likely more sympathetic to Dick's paranoia of a secret identity, and although M'gann was a little ditsy herself, she was understanding. Superboy…oh, _Superboy_ either didn't give a damn or he didn't know _how_ to give a damn. Wally was more relatable, because they came from the same background: _human_ mentor and a kid who had the coolest job in the world, but Wally often had the mindset of a seven-year-old child, even as Kid Flash, and 'Uncle Barry' had no qualms for him.

How did Kid manage it? How did he manage to stay sane in such gruesome situations?

Just as Alfred set the obnoxious bowl of ice cream on the table, Dick's communicator began to ring. He flipped a switch, and immediately his freckled best friend appeared on the other side, cheerful grin on his face.

"_Hey, Boy Wonder. Roamin' your part of town. How about you and I meet up in some dark alleyway and then up to the Hideout?" _

Hm, he also had a few texts from Kaldur beckoning him to the hideout. Might as well. Dick flashed a grin, a strange tingly feeling spreading in the tips of his fingers. "Why not? I'll meet you by the harbor."

"_Kay-kay_."

Dick grabbed his things for the weekend and stood to his feet with much excitement. Alfred arched a knowing eyebrow. "Leaving, Master Richard?"

"Yup. Uh, leave the ice cream. I think I know a guy who'll eat it." With another laugh, Dick quickly changed out of the clothes Wally would no doubt recognize him in and made the trip to the harbor, promising to meet in the first 'dark alleyway' he could find.

"Dude! You brought me ice cream! Score!"

"Yeah, it's a little melted—"

"_Is that caramel and nougat? I love you!"_ Before Dick had the chance to blink, Wally swept the ice cream from the shorter teenager's grasp and in a flash (he _so_ did not just make a corny joke. Did he?), all of it was gone, vanished in a quenched redhead's stomach. Wally hummed, hand patting his trim belly, and through his shaded glasses, Dick let out a light laugh, rethinking his earlier statement while Wally relished his sundae.

"You're awfully happy today," chirped Dick. No—not Dick. Around his team mates, he was _Robin_, even without the 'R' on his chest.

"Yeah." Suddenly the expression across Wally's face changed, and the gleam in his freckles made Robin's chest feel funny. "You ready to get going?"

"Always." What? Why couldn't he look Wally in the eye after…_that? _

"We're not gonna, you know, _walk_ all the way to Mount Justice, are we?"

"Not all of us have super speed, West." Robin smirked slightly, head held high as he poked a finger to his best friend's chest. Wally's green eyes fluttered with curiosity, then immediate mischief. "Whoa! Hey—put me down!"

"Now we all do."

The dark-haired teenager caught his breath, expression twisted into much irritation, but that lopsided smile never disappeared from the speedster's face. As a gust of wind hit the Gotham protégé, he shut his eyes from the impact while Wally went on about how awesome he was. Per usual.

He wondered faintly, what Wally was thinking of, when _that_ look appeared across his face. You know, the one that was normally reserved for M'gann?

**xxxxx**

**Author's Note: **

I could say I expected a lot from the first chapter, but there really isn't. It just underlines a couple points that'll be poked later in the story. Anyway, I just wanted to kick off things and write a multi-chapter story with the adventures of KF and Robin from when they fall in love to what happens afterward. :D Reviews would be nice!


	2. Instinct

_Blue Skyes101 – Haha. __**When **__Wally realizes Robin is Dick, it's utterly adorable. I can vouch for that. C: _

_I'mawesomedealwithit—Well now. That was so juggly that I couldn't figure out what most of the censors were. Someone's happy, now aren't they? _

**Instinct. **

"I don't understand how you can do it."

"Aw—c'mon. I even warned you. Hey, you didn't _have_ to answer any my questions. Don't you, like, get worst things in your mouth swinging from buildings and being ookie-spookie?"

Superboy arched an eyebrow, but said nothing as Black Canary sternly taught M'gann hand-to-hand combat. To his right was Kaldur, and he, too, heard the obnoxiously _loud_ echo of two rambunctious teenage boys at the entrance of Mount Justice. 'School' was in session for the next nine months, as Kaldur explained to him, and ever since the pair added another (what Superboy found _unnecessary_) activity to their social life, the team relied on weekends to communicate.

Yippee-fucking-doo. That word he learned when Wally announced with an immature whine he and Robin would be starting school one week ago. Kaldur cleared his throat, and that was when Superboy realized he was in mid-skydive when he halted. Kaldur offered a serene smile and gestured toward the hallway. "Shall we greet our teammates?"

He shrugged, tuning into more of Robin and Kid Flash's conversation as he nosedived to the ground, creating a symmetrical crater beneath his feet. Immediately Black Canary glared at him, but it was a relationship Superboy made very clear: he didn't like her. _At all._ So it didn't matter.

"W-Wait, Superboy!" Without having to be told twice, Superboy stopped, eyes rising to his housemate, who quickly dodged a blow from Black Canary and offered a timid smile. "Can you get my cookies out of the oven? We're all together after a week of separation! I thought we could have a part—_ee_!"

"Ooh," Kaldur cringed, hand covering his face.

Superboy, on the other hand, didn't even bat an eyelash when Black Canary hit the girl square in her chest. Anger swelled in his chest, and he _hated_ the way she flashed a look of disapproval. "Keep your eyes on the battle if your allies must escape. In a life-or-death situation, you can't afford to turn away for even a second."

"Noted," came the meek reply. M'gann stood to her feet with a crooked smile and a pleading look. Black Canary was not as forgiving, and she flashed a leer Superboy was very used to. He readied for a retort, but Aqualad pushed him toward the door.

"You two must be getting close," noted their leader.

Superboy huffed. "Hardly. …Not as close as those two."

In the living area sat the two boys, a pair that hardly looked like they were arguing. Wally flashed some stupid grin and jabbed Robin in the arm. "Well? Am I right?"

Robin huffed. Taking heed, Aqualad rolled his eyes and a small smile tugged on his face. Superboy couldn't blame him—to the right of Wally was Robin, whose nose showed thirty different wrinkles as he scraped bugs out of his teeth. "May I ask what happened?"

"You know he digs me." Kid Flash wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and slapped Robin over the shoulder. In return, the youngest stuck his tongue out, and a sigh only Superboy could pick up escaped the lips of their leader. "On our way here, he wouldn't stop smiling and we went through a horde of bees."

A horde of—"It _was not_ a horde of bees. Blegh."

Robin crinkled his nose, and for the last part, he spit out what appeared to be a red bug with spots—_ladybug. _Aqualad chuckled softly, finally taking pity on the boy, and guided him toward the door. "Let us get you cleaned up. Black Canary has big plans for us this weekend."

"Did Batman come by with any new assignments? _Puwah._" Just as Robin stood at the tip of his toes, excited, he grimaced and spit out an assortment of gruesome bugs.

Wally chortled, hands still clutching his stomach. "Shouldn't we be asking _you_ that?"

Just like every day during the summer, Superboy watched the pair make faces at one another, childish, and rolled his eyes. He soon realized this was a regular cycle, and it came as no shock when Aqualad explained the pair knew each other longer than with any of the others. Apparently they were a trio with some guy—Roy Harper. Robin was ushered off, and the immature look disappeared from Wally's face, replaced with…something really stupid, and kinda odd.

The redhead sighed dreamily, hands on his hips before sticking his nose in the air. "Ooh, do I smell cookies?"

"M'gann says the cookies in the oven are don—"

"Cookies!" In a red and yellow blur, the speedster disappeared in the kitchen, and clockwork spun while Kid Flash searched cabinet-upon-cabinet, the fridge, oven, and casually leaned against the counter, eyebrows arched and lopsided grin spread across his lips with three cookies showing themselves in his left cheek. "S'ho, haw's woomin' weh Me'han?"

Fortunately he spent the past month with his new 'family' learning the language of 'Wallynese.' Superboy shrugged. "How would it be?"

"Ah'unno." With a disgustingly _loud_ gulp (ugh, super hearing), Wally leaned back onto the counter with a keen smirk. "I take it _super hormones_ don't come with the package?"

"You're in an awfully good mood." More than usual. Wally, from what Superboy knew in their past few weeks together, loved the sound of his own voice, and always tried to get the last line. Most of the time, Superboy found it annoying, absolutely unnecessary, and…interesting. However, he pushed the latter thought away and decided to save his current analysis for later.

In mid-bite, Wally stopped stuffing himself and a different smile graced the speedster's lips—one Superboy doubted even Robin had on record. "Yeah."

Silence.

"Um, do you wanna know why?"

More silence.

"On the way picking up Robby over there, I had to run an errand and go see a little guy known _as…_Bruce Wayne." Wally arched an eyebrow, arrogance teeming in his features, but Superboy let it be. Only a moment later, the redhead shocked him with a small smile, and quite a bit of red fluttered across his cheeks. "And I ran into this…I wanna call him a kid, but he didn't act like one…okay. He did. But we just…_clicked._"

"And?"

"It was awesome," Wally murmured, and Superboy could see the boy vibrating from where he stood. "He had these…_beautiful _blue eyes, and Supes—I've never called anyone beautiful like this in my life. Aunt Iris, when she married Uncle Barry, but that's it. And kinda weird."

"You're getting the same look you do when it comes to M'gann." No, it was a little different—more genuine. Wally pulled away, apparently offended. "Don't play stupid."

"I only got to hang out with him for like half an hour and I feel like I could live off of that for a lifetime." The redhead pouted. "Okay, maybe not a lifetime. But pretty damn close."

Silence.

"You think there's a possibility of 'love at first sight'? I mean, I fall in love with every girl I see—so long as you know, they're smoking. Then there are some guys, too, but my gaydar's a little out of it, and…"

Granted one of the reasons why Superboy had been silent was because he had no clue how to respond to the speedster. These days, it was becoming more instinct to smile, but Kaldur knew well that he was still adjusting to his own emotions. Hitting things? He could hit things. Talking about his feelings? How did you talk about feelings you couldn't even name? However, this was certainly an emotion and thought he could not process.

"'Love.' The concept of mating between two animals, correct? You can't reproduce with another man, smart one." Superboy raised his head, lips dipping into a visible frown across his face. How…_preposterous._ Was Kid Flash even more of an idiot than he presented himself? Mating occurred between two humans, animals, _lifeforms_, and the genomes taught him that the sexual pheromones occurred during pubescence.

"Uh, _wow._" A look of horror crossed Kid Flash's face; what Superboy dubbed as a mixture of: _Supey's-Giving-Me-the-Look-Again,_ _Why-Am-I-the-Only-One-Around, _and _We're-Seriously-Having-__**This-Talk**__-With-Him? _"Supey…how specific were the little critters on the concept of 'love'?"

"Love is a weakness humans have in comparison to any other organism on the planet." Offended at the idea the clone _didn't_ know about sexual reproduction, he conjured a menacing glare and struck the speedster before he had the chance to retort. "Most humans feel the desire to fall in love before reproduction. The chemicals in the human mind determine emotions and how they feel to another human being, specifically one of the opposite sex."

"Okay," Wally said, and his voice spiked three octaves, just as his face turned as red as his hair. Superboy smirked. "Love might not have been the best word for describing Dick, but, uh. Love isn't restricted to the opposite sex. You can love anyone—platonically, physically, intimately…you know. The works."

"I don't understand."

"Well, I'm bisexual." The redhead arched an eyebrow, obviously not comfortable with the subject. "Which means I like both girls _and _guys. We just click, y'know?"

"You can't reproduce with a man." Hardly. Could you even have sex with a man?

"What you call 'sex', I call 'making love.'" Wally shrugged, green orbs hardly looking the taller boy in the eye anymore. "And, er, I've never actually hit a homerun. Er, do you know about 'homeruns'? 'Course you do. Just not in the sense I'm talking about, considering all of this. Anyway…well. Love doesn't define matrimony between just a man and a woman. A woman can like a woman, and a man can like a man."

Really? Superboy blinked, taken aback by the honesty radiating in his friend's voice as he looked to the ground. "In this world, it's okay for a man and a man to like each other?"

"Uh, _yeah._" The redhead threw his hands into the air, freckles spreading from cheek-to-cheek. He ran to the taller boy, hands at his side and a wily grin spread across his lips. "Any more questions, Supey?"

"These…" Superboy's eyebrow twitched. "These feelings. How do you know that you have them?"

"Um, you just _do_?" The speedster's voice was coming at a rapid pace, and the look that flashed in his eyes showed nervousness. Wally skid around the kitchen counter before hopping above and eating what appeared to be the last cookie. Red skewered his cheeks and a bashful smile spread across his lips. "Your heart just beats hard in your chest, and you feel a little giddy. I dunno. I've never been in love with anyone before."

"You just asked me if it was possible to fall in 'love-at-first-sight' with your dick."

_Oh-My-God-He-Just-Went-There._ Superboy truly had no idea how he managed to memorize all of Wally's different looks. Whatever he said to the speedster took an interesting effect, and immediately the redhead cracked a giggle. "Never mind, Supes. Just…never mind."

"Any word from the Bat?" The door swished open, and with a showy acrobatic flip to the couch, Robin flashed a grin that could light an entire room—fortunately, without any bugs in his mouth.

"No, no. None whatsoever, _little guy._" And so, the throwing of insults and food commenced.

While Superboy flashed a look of disapproval, Kaldur was at his side with a chuckle. He wrinkled his nose, distaste fluttering through his features. "Why allow them to act out like this? You're the leader."

"I may be leader," Kaldur whipped coolly, "but those two have been friends long before I ever met either one. They share a very close bond with one another."

"You really believe that."

"Yes." The Atlantean's lips curtsied softly, hands at his side while Kid Flash raided the freezer once more and flung three scoops of rocky road ice cream at an agile Robin. "I serve under my king, but these two…they really are the heart of the team. Wouldn't you agree?"

Sometimes. Superboy lowered his gaze to Kaldur, who was only an inch or two shorter than himself. His chest tingled with a funny feeling, but he had nothing to say. A silence passed between the pair; one that came more naturally. Wally may have needed a conversation to make him feel comfortable, but Kaldur knew what Superboy needed to feel secure.

Looking back to the pair of idiots, he simply grunted. Hopefully this would be a mess they were willing to clean themselves. His eyes fell to Robin, whose joyous grin seemed to compliment Kid Flash's exuberance. He wondered…

Eyes glowing, Superboy could see the human heart, all of the young boy's arteries, and even through his scalp. Like many boring times before, he failed to see through those irritating sunglasses. Really, who really wore lead-laced sunglasses nowadays?

**xxxxx**

Bruce called him back only a few hours later when they were on the coast learning about oceanic maneuvers. Personally, Robin was holding a grudge against his adoptive father, mostly because he was being torn away from his friends, and he was a little fearful what the Bat would do to him once he got home. The stern look that crossed _Bruce Wayne's_ face was just as intimidating to the cowl he often went home to, and the way he side-glanced Wally in Wayne Industries obviously meant he was going to get lectured.

Robin hated getting lectured.

"He wants me to be there as soon as possible." He frowned, irritation bubbling in his stomach rather than apologizing. Black Canary sported her usual glare of disapproval, but what was he supposed to do.

Aqualad nodded understandingly, head peeping at the surface, and directed a look to Wally. "Would you take him home?"

A ghost of a smile spread across the lips of their leader, and Robin took careful note of this. He wondered how far the Atlantean read into their conversation, patiently switching from his wetsuit to the more-preferred Robin suit. After all, what was the point in wasting time changing from civilian-Robin to Robin-Robin once he got to Gotham?

A quirk of a red eyebrow later, Wally sped up to Aqualad and began whispering in his ear. A sigh to the left, Robin turned his head and was met with a look of disapproval from Superboy. Right. No getting the clone angry. Grinning, Robin playfully poked the boy in the arm and held his head high. "So, has Wally challenged you to a race around the world yet?"

Ah. Now there was the look Superboy gave whenever he thought the world was crazy. And silence. Robin got more conversation out of Batman than he did when it came to Superboy.

"Superman and the Flash have an annual race every year to see who's faster." Hand wringing out the water in his hair, Robin stood to his feet and leapt onto a ledge that gave him leverage to the taller teen. "And considering Kid Dork's ego, I'm surprised he hasn't challenged you yet."

Silence. How Aqualad managed to get a conversation out of the big lug, Robin would never know. He just didn't expect Superboy to land on his feet and look him directly in the eye, smirk spread across his face. "When he gets over being in love with his cock, I'll ask him about it."

That statement alone nearly made the normally agile, graceful Robin fall off a ledge and land in the water. He regained balance, hand grappling Superboy's shoulder for leverage as a grin of disbelief spread across his face. "_What_?"

"What?" Quickly the clone's expression turned sour, eyes vivaciously narrowing to those in front of him. _Riiight,_ Supey hated being the one left out and feeling like an idiot. "'Cock' is another word for the human penis, along with _'dick'_ isn't it?"

"Sorta." Robin flashed a grin. Oh, was he seriously giving someone twice his size _'The Talk'?_ "Some words are derogatory—like how a 'bitch' can be a female dog, an 'ass' can be a donkey, and a 'cock' is the name of a rooster."

"And Dick?" A look passed over Superboy's face, tense and tactile, but oddly with a bit of curiosity. Faintly Robin wondered if Batman ever had to tell _Superman_ all of these things.

"Dick in the sense of a human penis is, er, the derogatory term. It's actually a nickname for Ri…"Oh. Oh my. Robin blinked, thought surfacing to his mind. No. _No-freaking-way._ The boy wonder lifted his head to brooding blue eyes, those of which expected a clear answer. However, now that the realization struck, the question was gnawing at the younger's mind with no shame. "It's a nickname for the name, 'Richard.' Um. Did he mention…_his, er, dick_ in a conversation or something?"

Clearly not amused (or, well, didn't know how to take a joke), Superboy arched an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Just curious."

"He mentioned love at first sight and 'beautiful' blue eyes." Of course, it was the _clone_ that had to be the blunt one. Suddenly Robin turned his head, pink rising up his neck and fluttering to his cheeks, watching as one playful Wally stood on super-strong Aqualad's shoulders to keep from sinking into the water. Again, Superboy disliked being misinformed. "Any particular reason?"

"Um. Not really." Except, now there was another question pressing on the teenager's mind—particularly when Wally clumsily slipped over the sleek material of Kaldur's uniform and gracefully landed in the stockier teen's arms. He shook his head, all smiles to Supes, but thanks to the Bat, this was going to be one problem that would gnaw at him for a while. "Wally! Are you taking me home, or am I taking the BatJet?"

And being the excitable kid he was, Wally leaped from a disgruntled Aqualad's grasp, summoning himself in front of Robin with a gust of wind. "Do I get to _race_ the BatJet?"

"We're running short on time." Playing the serious card, Robin forced down Dick-related thoughts and jabbed the redhead in the arm. "Batman's gonna bat my head if I'm not there in the next min—" With a blur, it didn't register in the teenager's mind that Wally had hauled him over the shoulder, and now they were at Gotham Harbor. He took in the musky stench of polluted water, and an undeniable scent of Wally's cologne, hamburgers, and…chocolate chip cookies. "—ute. Oof!"

Wally set him on the ground nicely and dusted off his hands, grin stretching out his freckles. He pushed his goggles up and proudly flexed. "Yup. I'm that awesome. So, what's the deal with this baddie?"

Huffing, Robin took out his communicator and surveyed the area. "I hate it when you do that. Robin to Batman. Where are you_?_"

"Do what?"

"_Batman to Robin. At the pier—" _A loud, obnoxious cackle deafened his ear, and the teenager shivered while Kid Flash paced around, ridiculous smile spread across his lips. "_Report. Now."_

"On my way." Before another thought crossed his mind, the teenager ducked into the shadows, traces of Dick leaving his mind to get a better look at what was happening. He switched to night vision, instincts alive with the sea buzzing in his ears. Another laugh echoed under the moonlight, and he grimaced, goose bumps pricking his skin. Civilians littered the deck, all on the ground unconscious, and leaving a blunt trail for him to follow.

Pshh. The Joker was _most definitely _losing his touch. The light padding of feet caught his attention, and Robin stood still, unaffected as, with a mighty leap, KF landed on the rooftop with a dispensable _thump_ and broadly frowned, eyebrow arched. "Uh, yeah. Some of us can't _disappear into the shadows_ like a little birdie, Robby."

"Did it ever occur to you that the reason why you _can't_ is because you're _too loud_?" Robin arched an eyebrow, then pushed himself off the rooftop, grapple extracted to somewhere yonder. With a grin and an adrenaline-filled laugh, the younger teen unceremoniously landed on one of Joker's guards and shot a batarang to another.

A _woosh_ fleeted his ears, followed by the collision of a punch to the jaw. "So, uh, Robby, you're in the eighth grade, right?"

"_Why_?" Ooh, he sounded like Superboy for a moment. Robin dodged an impact to the stomach, then flung another wing at what appeared to be the last lackey. "Robin to Batman. ETA: Two Minutes."

"_Understood."_

Doing one last check at his work, Robin held his head high with a victorious grin and felt the weight of Kid's body when the speedster leaned against him. "Just, uh. Do you know a kid by the name, 'Dick Grayson'?"

Uh-oh. He surveyed the pier, lips contorting into a delicate frown as it landed on an abandoned entry-way to Gotham's _Fast and Flurrious Amusement Park_ before breaking out into a sprint. Knowing the Joker, Batman would be trapped in a (tragically) happy funhouse. "Why?"

"Chicken thigh." Kid Flash appeared by his side, speed forgotten as his lips etched into a nervous smile. "Just asking."

So KF just asked Dick if he knew _Dick_ when Bruce made it clear to Dick that KF should not know who Dick really was? He crinkled his nose, and was thankful Kid couldn't see him under old, crackling streetlights. This was _so_ not a conversation he should be having.

"Oh! He's the son of Bruce Wayne, right?"

"Adopted son." Though, he didn't know why that piece of information held any importance. Looking to and fro, Robin arched an eyebrow. Where _was_ he—?

_**CRAAACK. **_Cackle, cackle, cackle.

"Ooh! Hehehee, is this the Boy Wonder I spot, having a little play date with a friend of his." Joker picked his mallet, dodging a batarang aimed for his head, and slammed it to the ground. Like an earthquake, the harbor trembled, and Robin held Kid Flash's shoulder for support.

"Is it just me, or does he get scarier every time we see him?" The speedster grumbled something under his breath, and Robin flashed a grin.

"Follow my lead."

This time 'round, the Joker had laugh gas smoke bombs. His cackle was like a howling, injured dog whose neck was stuck on a six-pack container, and under his breath, he hummed the bright tune of _I'm A Little Teapot._ Compared to anything else Batman sent them on missions for, the Joker was _hell._

The Bat appeared on cue, aggressive scowl dominating most of his face, and he lunged through broken mirror pieces to a livid Joker. Joker jumped into the air, tap dancing to no music, and Robin followed in with a punch to the back of his head, gracefully landing at his mentor's side.

"What took so long?" Unmistaken, Batman's voice held the same aggression it always did. Robin shivered, again nervous of his adoptive father's state of mind—_especially_ considering the way Kid Flash just launched himself on the Joker with a dopey grin.

"I got a little held up with Kid Blab over there." Robin shrugged nonchalantly, smiling as Kid Flash blew a raspberry. "But think about it this way, Bats—he's faster than the BatJet."

"Hardly."

Finally gathering his thoughts, the Joker looked around, odd pout on his face as he swung his giant mallet like a toy. "Surrounded! I'm offended, Batsy! Do you _really_ take me as a _petty villain_?"

"Your days of clowning around are over, Joker."

"Haah," Kid Flash grinned and nudged Robin in the rib. "I get it. 'Cause we're at a circus, right? Jeebus, he's corny."

"_Du-ude_, he's the Batman." Robin elbowed his best friend in the arm with disapproval and directed his attention back to the Joker with a visible smirk. "You've got two options, Jokey-poo: turn yourself in before we kick your butt, or let us kick your butt and turn you in!"

"Oh, _poo._" The Joker harrumphed childishly and stood at the tip of one toe before doing a Russian jig. "Well, how about I choose option three?"

The sound of Batman whipping out a batarang filled Robin's ears. He did the same, tense, and his mentor's old nemesis did something they should have _freaking expected_. Joker stepped backward, down into the twenty-foot fall toward ocean waters, glowing stick in his hand. A detonator. Oh crap—

"Batman, did you see—"

"Robin, defuse the bomb—"

"I've got him!" Kid Flash, and his _stupid_ speed, and his _stupid_ tendency to run on instinct rather than his own _stupid _mind sprinted forward, lost in perpetual time as he skydived off the ledge, Batman and Robin on his trail.

"Kid!" Robin lifted himself onto the beam, grapple in hand, but Batman grabbed him by the ankle.

"Wait."

He whirled around to glare at his mentor, glare ferocious, but through optic lenses, his adoptive father/partner kept his eyes steady in the ocean. A painstaking minute or two passed and—and nothing. Bomb boxes were as clear as day on bumper cars, toll booths, candy cotton stands—he should have seen them earlier, and defused them before meeting up with the Bat. Stupid, _stupid_ Dick!

"I don't hear anything—"

"I've got a visual."

_Really_? Slightly irrational, Robin snatched the night vision binoculars from the Dark Knight, and a laugh tickled his throat as the undoubted, bright red hair of his best friend popped to the surface, giggling-but-trapped Joker at his side. One hand held the large villain in place, but the other revealed what both father and son had seen earlier: the detonator.

"Good thing we were learning about aquatic espionage right before we left, eh?" Kid Flash winked and climbed the buoy, Joker in tow.

"You..." Keep calm, Grayson. But the fact that his best friend just took on the Joker and _lived_ was a miracle, and outrageously, _incredibly_—"You _idiot_!"

Batman wasn't laughing the way Robin was. "Stay there and we'll gather you. _Don't let him escape._"

"Ay, ay, Cap'n."

Just as Batman called for the BatJet, Robin called for the police. Deep in the background, the sun had set, leaving only a silhouette of Gotham City to dance by the bay. He hopped into the BatJet, grinning, and elbowed his father in the arm. "So, what do you think?"

As expected, the Creepy Caped Cowl sneered, lips tightly brought together. "Stupid, irrational, and impulsive."

"Good thing he's on our side then, eh?"

"Yes." The jet hovered over the buoy by ten feet, and a rope latter spewed from the floor. As they waited for KF to meet them above, Batman turned his head, and the disapproval was clear across his face. "You've kept him under the false conclusion that Dick Grayson and Robin are two separate people, haven't you?"

Oh. Right. Robin raised his head, suddenly feeling uncomfortable next to his adoptive father, and nodded. "Yeah. He doesn't suspect a thing."

"Keep it that way."

"Yes sir."

_**BOOM**__._

A sickening crack echoed through the pier, followed by the loud, obnoxious chortle from the Joker. Robin leapt from his seat and to the window, and immediately his heart plummeted. The BatJet jerked, and instantaneously it nosedived for the water.

"…he's drowning. Batman, he's _drowning_!"

**xxxxxx**

**Author's Note: **

I think I'm having a little trouble attaching myself to the characters; will probably be more spontaneous with updates for this story before I get comfortable with the series. Wally's coming out more like the Flash from JLU rather than this, so, uh. Sorry. And then Robin…I really wanna get his character right. Anyway, I actually plan on this story to be _really_ long, both chapter-wise (double what I've written for chapter one and two) and just storywise. It'll mark all of the trials in their relationship, and uh. How do you guys feel about…parallel-universe travelling to different dimensions? Say…the Teen Titans, Justice League, comic!Young Justice, X-Men, etc? Ehe. I wanna keep it very comic-book related/DCU related, so nothing like. I dunno. Powerpuff Girls?

Thank you so much for reviews, and I hope to see more of you in the future! C:


	3. Cast

**Cast.**

Six milli-seconds.

That was all it took for Joker to punch Kid in the face, leave him disgruntled, then make the explosive go off under the buoy. Going against any opponent, Kid Flash went with the belief that with hyper-intuition and accelerated reaction time, he could take them down. Captain Cold, Mirror Master, and Captain Boomerang took maybe two seconds, and then he was back to school practicing his multiplication tables. No, really—it probably took more time figuring out the square root of four (two) than beating those baddies out, and took more time to figure out redox when his uncle was involved.

_Mn(NO3)2 + NaBiO3 + HNO3 yields HMnO4 + Bi(NO3)3 + NaNO3 + H2O_

_Oxidation: 2 [ 4 H2O + Mn yields HMnO4 + 7 H+ + 5 e-]_

_Reduction: 5 [ 2 e__- __+ 6 H__+ BiO __- __yields Bi__3+ __+ 3 H2O ]_

See? Wally could do that in his _sleep_! Psh, and Uncle Barry thought he couldn't handle Advanced Physics and Chemical Engineering at his age.

The thing was, Joker wasn't a simple chemical equation. He wasn't oxidation-reduction, or Captain Cold, Mirror Master, or Captain Boomerang. Compared to the little baddies in Central City (with the exception of the…_ape thing_), the Joker was a homicidal, megalomaniac with the pain tolerance of tofu, and had that creepy laugh down to boot. Now, plummeting deep down Gotham Harbor, he could only curse himself for being so careless. His arm was tingly and his head had this gnawing pressure, but through the mush of water, all that covered his vision was salty blue and oozing red. His mind went numb, and there was only one other thing Wally registered before seeping into the realm of the dead.

Okay, just kidding. Wally knew he wasn't stupid enough to _die_ at the hands of the Joker.

"Wally! _Wally_!"

Was he out of the water? Had someone rescue him? The beat of his heart _hurt_, and he felt pressure on his lip, followed by the faint taste of air. His entire body held no feeling, and it was as if someone had stolen his lungs. Suddenly, a thought passed through his mind. _What the hell just hit me?_

Wally's eyes shot open to the sight of…black hair. Black hair he'd seen so many times before, and the perfectly symmetrical face of…who was it? Who was that? He looked around, yet not another thought registered through his mind, and—

He lurched.

Everything he'd absorbed from the impact, Wally vomited, and at least three liters of sea water left his mouth, followed by the three burgers right before going to Gotham, Miss Martian's cookies, and the ice cream sundae that totally should have been burnt up by his metabolism. There was a grimacing '_Yech_,' and without the fuel he had in the last three hours, everything turned…faint. Dizzying.

The speedster collapsed, back against the floor and head pounding. Luckily, his stomach was empty, and the feeling to vomit one more time had disappeared. Instead…he was tired. Very, very tired.

Two voices filled his conscience before he drifted off into deep slumber:

"I'm sorry. The Joker got away because of me…but KF was more important, I swea—"

"We should get him to the hospital and contact Flash. Next time…make sure he vomits before you hug him."

"E-Er… Noted." Laugh. "I'd say meeting the Joker kinda whelmed him…don't you think?'

The rest of the night went as a blur. Wally couldn't remember most things that happened, other than the fact his head had a permanent concussion and his arm suddenly felt like a second body. By the time he woke up, Wally found himself in a completely different area.

First off, it must have been three in the afternoon when he stirred from his slumber. The soft beeps of the heart monitor filled his ears; a high-pitched and monotonous tone that deafened his senses. It took a slightly faster pace, signaling Wally's awakening. Then—

"_Cookies_! Are those chocolate chip?" Without a doubt, Wally sat higher on his bed, and a freckled grin spread across his lips. Intoxicated by the _beautiful_ and _gorgeous_ scent of fattening delectables, he leaped away from his little nest to the over bed table and grabbed a handful with—his casted arm. _The hell?_

"So, you finally noticed the cast?"

Oh, he definitely noticed the cast. Immediately, the pain caught up to the young speedster, and he cringed as a headache overtook his mind. A groan escaped Wally's lips, and he turned around to the stern and gruesome voice that reminded him so much of Supey. "I didn't expect to see you."

Roy Harper looked back, pointed green eyes narrowing with a sarcasm Supes _couldn't_ mimic (because…well. Superboy didn't exactly have a sense of humor) before turning into an amusement Wally missed oh-so much. "Who do you think brought the cookies?"

"I dunno. I do have an entire team-slash-family that could have brought cookies." Wally horded four down before jumping back onto the bed, IV following his every movement. Another jolt of pain obstructed his view, and immediately the teenager winced. "So, uh. What's the DL?"

"According to your clipboard, you suffered a minor concussion and have a broken arm." In evidence, Roy raised the clipboard at the foot of the bed and handed it over to the speedster. "From what I hear you've been out for three days. Knocked out by the Joker's gas. Batman must have taken custody of you before turning you over to the Flash and the hospital."

"I can see that." The header above read: **Central City Hospital and Clinic.** Wally nodded, reaching out with his good hand—which, he noticed, was not gloved or in any form of Kid Flash. He took a cookie once Roy pushed the table, and looked up to the other redhead. "Man, what a night. What happened to him, anyway?"

"Like I could tell you." Immediately the expression changed across Roy's face, cold and deceitful (yup, Supey and he would either get along, or Roy would drive an arrow through the Kryptonian clone while Superboy choked him), and he showed a look of disapproval. "I wouldn't know. I'm not part of your _junior Justice League._"

"Your girlfriend's in it." Ooh, score one for Kid Flash, zero for the Speedy-boy!

Just like his hair, Roy turned bright red, continuing with his tough guy act. "She's not my—"

"Anyway, speaking of juniors and high school, you're in college. In California." Wally flashed an underhanded smile and lowered his head, eyes narrowing to his lone wolf of a best friend. "Why so sudden visiting Kansas and little ol' me?"

Roy didn't answer. While his poker face was not on par to that of the Dark Knight (and _ooh. _Creepy much? He hoped to the heavens Gotham would be one place he didn't have to visit in a while), it still showed that Star City's number-two archer (a title that would never leave the speedster's lips if he valued his life) was striving to prove himself as number one. Some days, Wally didn't blame Roy. Others, he felt as if there was no other choice.

"You're real stupid to think that you could take the Joker down by yourself." Concluding his point, Roy dragged a chair close to the bed, popped a bright red sharpie out of nowhere, and yanked on Wally's bright yellow cast. In something that could only be compared to chicken scratch, _**Roy Harper**_ was scrawled over his wrist. "Arrow and I have teamed up in the past with Batman and Robin to get rid of the guy."

"I lasted a whole two minutes with him." Wally grinned and reached for a cookie with no other thought. "Wield and behold. You know, I'd love to see you in that little outfit of yours again."

Roy snorted. "That'll come the day I go up to Robin and call him 'Short-Pants' again."

"Well, you just said it," challenged the younger redhead. He arched an eyebrow, amusement teeming in his voice as he crossed his arms. "And you going after Rob…ain't that a little pedophilic, even for you?"

"I'm _not_ going after Robin." Roy shared another look of disapproval before hesitantly grabbing a cookie for himself. Silence filled the room, and Wally flipped the TV to Cartoon Network. Apparently they'd just gotten a new show about teenage superheroes, and the world _knew_ how much appreciated that was. Followed by a sweet, _**KABAAAAAAAAM**_, his partner in crime (or justice. They could go with justice.) stood from where he was and took half of Wally's milk.

"Sure, deprive the kid with hyper-accelerated metabolism of his milk and cookies when he's been out for three days. That's substantial." Wally pouted, but was immediately rewarded when the carton was thrust his way, followed by a duffel bag that he promptly unzipped. "Omigod. _You got me Oreos? _And…and _pudding_?"

"Still can't tell if you actually use your teeth when you have the munchies." Roy raised his head and crossed his arms. "Better safe than sorry."

"Dew'ee no'hed." The younger nodded eagerly, revealing a grimy grin filled with soggy black crumbs and a little bit of white cream, followed by gooey helpings of chocolate pudding and a packaged cinnamon roll.

Roy grimaced, and for a quick second, Wally saw a flash of what his friend once was—before the whole 'League' ordeal, before the drugs, and before being neglected. Just plain old Roy Harper, who Wally had trusted with all his secrets as from a little brother to big brother, and the first person he told that he may have liked guys, too. "Okay. That's just—Wally. That's just gross."

Hmph. Wally used a second to concoct a witty comeback.

"_Swallow._"

"I _said,_" the speedster started, once he gulped down his little slice(s) of heaven like a squirrel with acorns, "that you sound like a kid again. Just calling me 'Wally' and all."

"If you bothered to get a more mature name to _suit your age_, then we wouldn't be having this argument, now would we?"

"Okay, dude: you've got it easy. I'd get beat up at school if I went by _Wallace._" Ew. It sounded like the fourth chipmunk or something. "_Roy Harper_ sounds hot. _Wallace West_ sounds like some scholar winning the Nobel Prize."

"You'd make a good scientist if the whole superhero business doesn't work out for you." Tone clipped, Roy looked down to the other redhead in a way that simply made the other blush in almost-nonexistent shyness. "Well. My next class starts in an hour. I should probably get back—seeing as the nurses haven't noticed that you've woken up."

"Alright. Roy?"

"What?" The taller redhead peaked from the door, expression grim.

"Thanks for visiting." A cheesy smile spread across Wally's lips, and a slight blush tingled at his cheeks. "I—er, Robin—_we_ missed you."

"…I'll visit later with more goodies." Roy's eyes narrowed. "If you can finally plug that bottomless pit you were born with."

"Eheh. Noted."

Just as Roy left out the door, the nurse arrived with an audibly obnoxious shriek. Wally liked to think because she thought he was extremely good-looking. She apparently preferred because he was awake (though, he had an amazing endurance, and a knock like that really _wasn't_ that bad), and a few minutes later, the nurses could be heard babbling on the phone to whom he assumed were his relatives while the primary doctor gave him the report.

The cover story no doubt Uncle Barry, Aunt Iris, and the Bat constructed was that he indeed was in Gotham City at the time. He was on a boat for Bruce Wayne (how did they get _his_ cooperation?) when the impact of the Joker's bomb sent him hurdling into the sea (_Check_.) where Robin and Batman found him (_Check_. Wait, where was Aqualad?), admitted him to Gotham Hospital, alerted his parents—followed by his legal guardians, and was transferred to Central City Hospital (_Check_.)

The prognosis included a ruptured back that miraculously healed (woo, hyper-accelerated healing!), a sprained collar bone (hot damn—that HA-Healing just rocked, didn't it?), a blow to the head (well, that still sort of hurt, but not by much), the probability for a coma that could have lasted from three months to _three years_ (which was avoided, thanks to HA-Healing. Score!) and a broken arm that was speculated to be fully healed in six months (which in KF-time really meant six weeks). Unfortunately, Wally was torn away by his one true love not too long after the nurses discovered his awakening.

What cruel mistress thought it okay to tear a man away from his pudding? _Noo_!

And conveniently a moment later, the door burst open to reveal yet another, important redhead in Wally's life as Aunt Iris wrapped her arms around the crippled speedster—before immediately slapping him upside the head.

"Mrs. Allen!" One of the nurses gasped despite the amusement flashing clearly in her eyes. "You could stress out the patient by doing that!"

"_Yeah_, Aunt Iris, you could _stress out the patient_ by doing that!" Wally mimicked his aunt's scrunched up face, but clearly there was no victor. Just…hugs. Lots and lots of hugs while the door peeked open once again to reveal Uncle Barry and two other, _shorter_ people.

"Kaldur! Ro—" Huh. Wally looked to his leader, then to the little pint-size next to him who simply smirked. What was he supposed to call the little guy?

One of his many hot nurses ushered the rest of her team to the door, a look of professionalism crossing her face as she held the clipboard tight to her chest. "Excuse us. You and your parents can catch up on the things you missed, and we'll come back to tell you when you can check out."

"Er, they're not my—"

The door slammed, leaving an echo, and Wally without his pudding. Aunt Iris repealed her death hug, instead returning to her husband, who revealed a large suitcase at his side, no doubt filled with maybe a change or two of clothes and hopefully twenty pounds worth of cake.

"Give or take, you must be _very_ _hungry_." Aunt Iris flashed one of her little smiles, taking the suitcase from Uncle Barry's grasp, and set it on the over bed table and dragging it to Wally, who'd been severely tucked under blankets once again. "Three days without food?"

"You know I suffered." Oh, _heaven—_chocolate pudding! Wally licked his lips, quick to ignore the annoying sling the doctor created for him, and grabbed a spoon while his favorite relative revealed at least seven six-packs of pudding. Following up Roy's pies, Oreos, and the fateful pudding, Aunt Iris scattered the table with more pudding, M&M's, Skittles, Reeses—and anything else that could have been taken from a vending machine.

"Have you ever wondered where all that food went? Oof." Oh. Right, they had guests.

Aunt Iris offered a look, turning her head to the pair of teenagers still at the door with his Uncle. "I wouldn't think the word have gotten out so quickly that Wally was awake. Shouldn't you two be in school?"

"We're both always concerned when it comes to Wally, ma'am. Your son's very important to us." Though a nice thought, Kaldur's soft tone only made Wally shift with discomfort. He stuffed his mouth with a beautiful slice of Aunt Iris's Not-So-Famous-But-So-Freaking-Delicious Banana Crème Pie before harping down the rest with little embarrassment. Aunt Iris knew how much he ate, and most of the time Uncle Barry just laughed.

"He's actually our nephew." Aunt Iris nudged him softly in the side and smirked a little. "I'm sure his mother grew concerned when he was the only kid that wanted an Easy Bake Oven."

"It'd make sense." Robin flashed a grin that made Wally want to smack him. Hmph. "She was probably concerned why all the groceries were gone before she had the chance to put them away."

"I like this kid," Aunt Iris whispered in his ear. "He's a keeper."

"Aunt _I-ris_!" Using his good arm, Wally propelled his pillow to the woman with a fervent blush surfacing his cheeks. Iris, living with _two _speedsters, instinctively dodged and dragged Uncle Barry to the door.

"Let's give the kids some time alone. I have the feeling by the time we get back, all that food will be gone."

"Right, honey." Uncle Barry smiled before flashing a look to his nephew. _We're going to talk about this._ Well duh, they were going to talk about this! "Might as well…empty our pockets and go get more food for the little guy."

"'Little guy'?" Wally mimicked as Kaldur amusedly rearmed him with the lost pillow. "I'm _fifteen_! What am I—" He looked to Robin and smirked. "_Thirteen?" _

Promptly, Robin stuck his tongue out in retaliation, and the door was soon shut behind them. He collected on the chair in front of the bed and immediately snatched the fork out of Wally's hands. "So—does your aunt always stuff you with this much food?"

"Depends. I don't normally end up in the hospital, so there's really no lead on that." Wally speedily snatched the fork from Robin's grasp and smirked victoriously. "What exactly happened that night? What _day_ is it?"

Robin and Kaldur looked to each other, taken aback by the disorientated one of their trio, and the youngest filled in the blanks for him. "It's Tuesday. You've been out for three days, remember?"

"Robin's been keeping tabs on you seeing when you would wake up."

For a moment, Wally stopped eating, surprised, and looked to his best friend. "You came all the way from Gotham City just to see when I'd wake up?"

Before the whole Joker incident, he may have never noticed that when confronted with a semi-personal question or slightly embarrassed, Robin's ears turned the palest hue of pink. Instead, Robby went to the heart monitor where the redhead was still irritatingly hooked upon, and revealed a surreptitious little camera that could have easily been mistaken as a wad of gum. "Remember that annoying little rule the League pressed on us? Weekdays_-slash-_schoolnights for home cities, weekends for verting?"

"Dude—that is _gross._"

"Hey—had to keep tabs on you _somehow_, right?" A glare did _not_ look good on the face of one Robin, the Boy Wonder. Wally would have given a long, downcast whistle, but Robin continued with that cute little baby face of his. "Your uncle was the one who called us and said you were awake. Before we knew it, he swept me up from Gotham and Kaldur from Superboy."

Wally couldn't help the grin spreading across his face. The little talk Supey and he shared immediately came to mind, followed by pink at the edges of his cheeks. If it wasn't for the fact Superboy had that _Kryptonian strength_, a godly glower, and that cute problem where he had absolutely no urban knowledge, the speedster may have had the balls to call Supey "adorable."

Kaldur apparently noticed his grin. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing, nothing." One look at Rob, and they noticed one another's little…_secrets_. Wally bit back a snicker and swung his legs off the side of the bed, wincing slightly at his arm, and ran a hand through his hair. "Wait, what do you mean he _swept_ you up from Gotham?"

"Well, _duh._" Robin arched an eyebrow, crouched in a prowl only tigers could match. Through his dark sunglasses, the boy must have been rolling his eyes. There were very few times where Robin _didn't_ act smug. "Come on, Kid. Same mannerisms, same corny jokes? He uses forensics to figure out mysteries, for crying out loud!"

"He…" Kaldur's eyebrows furrowed in surprise. "He is the Flash?"

"Yup." Robin nodded in confirmation, then dropped the matter as if it was no big deal. Instead, he raided a drawer, revealing three sharpies in red, blue, and green, before taking hold of Wally's casted arm.

The redhead's heart skipped a beat. After two years of knowing Rob, was he finally going to know his secret identity? Behind those stupid glasses and everything?

No. Not at all. Robby simply examined at his hand before tossing all three markers to the agile Kaldur'ahm, and elbowed him in the arm. "Dude? You're staring."

"Am not." Wally quickly smirked, eyes lifting to his best friend while their leader stepped forward and did an inspection of his own.

"Who is…'Rop Aorpher?'" Rop Aopher?

"Roy _Harper_." The speedster laughed, leaning back in his seat as Kaldur understandably nodded and began to sign in much neater, almost calligraphic handwriting his name. Looking back to Rob, he was surprised to find the Boy Wonder's face twist with something unreadable. Kid had only seen that face a few times before, and often it didn't end well. "He's Speedy."

"Ah." Kaldur nodded politely and turned to Robin. "Would you like to sign?"

Yeah. Sign. _Please._ Robin shook his head, forcing a cheerful smile to his face instead. "Nah. Besides, if _Kid Blab_ was so stupid to fall for one of Joker's tricks, then he shouldn't be rewarded for a mistake. Don't you think?"

"Hurtful," Wally chimed.

"Truthful," beamed the youngest. Suddenly he paused, index finger tapping on his chin as he raised his eyebrow. "So if 'ful' just means you're full of something…like _hurt_ful and _truth_ful, does that mean, like…you could be Wallyful? Or…Kaldurful?"

Kaldur chuckled softly, small smile spreading across his face before his eyes narrowed to the redhead. "You have the week off to recuperate."

"Is that the only reason why you came?" Seeing as his plate had been emptied, Wally frowned and crossed his arms. "What am I supposed to do with…with my _free time_?"

"Knit? Learn how to make your own cookies? Go girl hunting?" Robin grinned. "Any of those suit your fancy?"

"Hmm…a bit, actually."

"Your Aunt and Uncle must be very understanding of your situation." Kaldur gently grabbed the clipboard from Wally's pile of empty wrappers, pudding cups and pie. Once reading over the files, he grimaced. "Ruptured back? Sprained collar bone? For the medical bills that come along with this, I am…surprised how your uncle must explain it to your parents."

"Since I'm a kid, I'm pretty sure me being here is just a cover-up for the school. Otherwise the hospital bills that go along with it must be handled by the league." Wally shrugged, head suddenly feeling fuzzy. The doctor had yet to give him the medicine that would make the dreaded pain go away. "And I live with Aunt Iris and Uncle Barry. Mom and Dad live in Blue Valley."

He didn't expect for Kaldur and Robin to look at him like he'd grown two heads. Sure, he had a large appetite, but that was something he often didn't mention until the second date with a girl.

"What?" Oh, score! Roy stuffed more Oreos in a different pocket!

"'Tis rather…_surprising._ That you do not live with your parents or anything." Kaldur flashed a look of concern, but it seemed oddly misplaced. "Is there anything we can do for you, Kid? Are they treating you badly?"

"Er…" Wally blinked in surprise and swallowed the rest of his cookies. He smiled uncomfortably, looking neither one in the eye in favor of cartoons. "I'm fine, guys. My parents are kinda just the parents who never show up when it counts, you know? 'Sides, I like it better with my uncle. How are your parents?"

Silence. Neither said a word, eyes darting to the ground and refusing to look the redhead in the eye.

"Ri-ight. We can skip that subject."

That was the apparent ultimatum. Kaldur and Robin pulled duplicate smiles, before another sound caught their attention. Their leader raised a small device, no doubt to contact Aquaman, and smiled coolly. "My apologies. Do you know when you'll be checking out of the hospital?"

"Probably at the end of the day." Wally shrugged. "My back's mostly healed, collarbone only feels a bit out of place. One trip to the chiropractor and all we'll have to worry about are my splitting headaches and this broken arm. Oh, and food."

The Atlantean laughed. "Then we shall see you this weekend. Until then—I must answer my king. Though…as your leader, I am curious about your capabilities, Wally. Robin, Kid—remember what I asked of you."

"Gotcha."

"Yupsirree."

And rather than a heroic display of jumping out the window and changing into Aqualad, Kaldur went by the door and saluted them goodbye. Robin grabbed an Oreo for himself and hopped onto the bed right next to the redhead. "There's a fine line between _trusting_ and being a downright idiot, don't you think?"

"Puh-lease. You and I have different definitions of 'trust.'" Wally arched an eyebrow and lightly pushed his best friend. "Did Kaldur ask you to do research on me?"

"When we were trying to get the bugs out of my mouth." Robin shivered, a hilarious reminder of the flies and ladybugs he'd swallowed on the way to HQ. "Did he ask you to look up my abilities?"

"Right before shipping you off to Gotham." Wally broke an Oreo in half between his fingers and gave a piece to the Boy Wonder. "Probably since you and I know each other so well. You're the only one who knows what happens when I, er. Vibrate my molecules through solid objects."

"They go boom-boom." Robin dipped his head into the pillow and laughed. "You're the only one other than the Bat that knows I've been training in acrobatics since I was—"

"Since you were one-and-half and was afraid of the dark for the first two months you became Robin."

"Don't you dare tell anyone that."

"Oh, don't worry." Wally grinned playfully and broke another cookie. "I will."

"…you know why I didn't sign your cast, right?" A twinge of worry fluttered through the Boy Wonder's voice; a shred of vulnerability he would never show anyone else—not even Roy, who was the third of their trio and arguably the one Robin was closest to. Despite their age difference, the pair was at a point of closeness Wally so-often knew he could not compete with, and it'd been that way until Roy struck the age of eighteen, and an air of independence none could comprehend came with his authority. Their trio was just never the same without him.

"You said there was a 'fine line' between trust and being an idiot. And I said that there were different definitions of trust." Wally shrugged nonchalantly, small reassuring smile dancing across his lips as he opened his mouth for Robin to feed him an Oreo. "I'd trust you with my life, Rob. And I know you trust me with yours. Er, you _do_, right?"

"We dunno if Superboy has super speed yet." Robin smirked playfully. "He could be faster than you."

"Don't count on it. But I've basically decided that even though we're best buds, I'm not going to push you on this secret identity thing." Wally poked the boy in his side. "Which means, Robby, that you're off the hook. Just gotta figure out what to tell my aunt."

"You're lucky to have her."

"Yeah. So is the Bat like, your dad or something? Can't say I can imagine him reproducing and being the father-figure type." Ooh, that was just a scary thought.

He didn't miss the way Robin leaned over and dug through Roy's bag, nor how he pretended not to hear the question. "You got a banana crème pie. But considering how many Oreos your Aunt and Roy brought, I'm surprised they didn't make the cookies and cream pie."

Hm. If he didn't want to talk about it for a second time, it was best not to bring it out. Whoa, whoa—"They make a pie? _Out of Oreos?" _

"Uh, yeah?" Robin arched an eyebrow, taken off guard by the speedster, and pulled out an iPhone. Two seconds later of Googling, Wally saw the most _beautiful_ thing to mankind on the tiny screen in front of him. "Oh my god, dude—chill. Your heart's beating so fast the monitor says you're flat-lining!"

"But…_pie!_"

The door immediately opened, and before Wally had the chance to react, Robin ripped the wires from Wally's chest, glare ready, and Barry stepped in before all the doctors, smile on his face. "Well, lookie here. Guys, it's fine—my nephew just thought it'd be easier to move around without wires sticking everywhere."

"He did it." Wally pointed to his best friend, but the blame was half-hearted. Robin hit him in the arm.

Doctors filed in, disapproving looks spreading across their faces, followed by matching glares. The one who gave him the prognosis clicked his tongue and shook his head. "It isn't a good idea to disturb the patient. I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave, son."

"He's checking out today, anyway." Robin immaturely made a face, and like always it occurred to Wally that he forgot they weren't the same age _again._ The fact at times was hard to remember—Robin may be two years younger, but at times they acted as if Wally was only two days older. "But I guess I'll leave."

"Wait."

"What?"

"Make me pie?" Wally flashed his best puppy dog face, and normally it was the freckles that won people over. Ladies _loved_ the freckles.

Robin wasn't a lady. "You're such a dork."

Even in civvies, Robin managed to do that thing that Wally hated so much—disappearing and reappearing everywhere. Over the bed, he could see messy black hair disappearing through the crowd of doctors before once again being alone with Uncle Barry and Aunt Iris.

Erk. Then another thought came to mind. "So, er. If you think about it, I _did_ get you that stuff you wanted from Mr. Wayne."

"You and your Uncle Barry can talk about this when we get home." Aunt Iris flashed a look that made Wally gulp.

"I'm…not going to get the easy out when it comes to this, am I?" Green eyes twinkled with mild horror that only deepened to his favorite aunt's infamous look of sarcasm.

Uncle Barry wasn't helping the situation. Quite the opposite, with the way he raised his head and one of his politically correct, cheesy smiles spread across his lips. "What do you think, kid?"

Following his getting checked out of the hospital, the doctor prescribed pain medicine Wally knew wouldn't stay in his system too long. Stupid Aunt Iris said he still had to go to school the next day, and mean Uncle Barry pressed that until he saw the chiropractor, he wasn't allowed to fight crime. Him! Not fight crime? _Really_? And of course, his closet just had to have his costume in there—_dry-cleaned_—and his goggles were polished to a bright red he didn't even know existed!

Technically, Kid Flash was relieved of his crime fighting duties until further noticed. Technically it didn't mean that Kid Flash couldn't run. A _quick_ sprint, or, or, just a _nice_ jog—

"Wally!"

Which was when Kid Flash found himself at Mount Justice later after twenty painstaking minutes squeezing himself into the costume, red emblem proudly beaming on his chest. He still felt a little lightheaded, and his back was killing him, but immediately, Wally deemed it nothing important.

Especially if, you know, M'gann was so excited that she immediately tackled him the moment his presence was announced via computer. Damn Robin and his techie mind! Uncle Barry was gonna kill him—wait. M'gann was hugging him, he had boobs pressed to his chest, and although Wally was ready to fall over and die—there were _boobs! _

"Hey," he said in the smoothest voice he could conjure. "Did you miss me?"

M'gann's face contorted into the look she so-often got whenever he said something (though he hadn't the faintest idea why) and gasped with her natural naivety when she finally noticed the cast. "What's that? Did they give you a new arm when you broke it?"

Er. Looking over into the living area, Wally now noticed Aqualad and Supey locked in a conversation. For a moment they broke off, the Kryptonian clone's frown going unnoticed in place of Kaldur's knowing smile—then equally-knowing frown.

"Nah. If they gave me a new arm, I think it'd be a little too bulky for me." Immediately Wally attempted flexing, then managed a wince. Taking off the sling when he'd woken up only a few hours ago wasn't the best idea. But how _else_ was he supposed to run? "It's actually a cast. That way while it heals, nothing can penetrate and harm it."

"You have Kaldur's name on it," she commented lightly. "And…who's Abu Aoper?"

"Roy _Harper._ God, that guy's gotta take a writing class or something." Wally crinkled his nose before wiggling his eyebrows and pulling out three sharpies. "You wanna sign?"

"You can sign it? It's not poison?" A smile possessed over half of her face, suddenly giddy, and M'gann hovered three feet in the air. "Can I sign it with my human name?"

"Go for it." Kid nodded in approval, eyes looking over to Kaldur as the older boy stood from his seat. Superboy remained where he was, thoughtful look passing across his features.

"Is it alright that you are already wearing your uniform?" Aqualad tilted his head curiously, concern fluttering in his tone. "Shouldn't you be resting? You've only awoken a few hours ago."

"Flash doesn't know. Well, I would say _now_ he does, considering the whole Mountain just verified my presence here. I'd say I got a second or two to spare." Wally disappeared and reappeared next to Superboy, grabbing the spaghetti he was eating by himself. "Meatball, Supey?"

"Very funny." Superboy's expression turned wry, and he looked back to Miss Martian and Aqualad for advice. From the corner of his eye, Wally saw the Atlantean outline a smile with his fingers, and hesitantly, the Kryptonian followed example. "Glad to see that you're alright."

"Anyone ever say that you look good with a smile? _Ooh._" A jolt of pain shot up the speedster's back and he collapsed into the seat beside Supey. "Probably shouldn't have taken the sling off so quickly."

"Probably not," Kaldur grimly agreed. Apparently he wasn't going to get any sympathy from the leader.

"It was getting in the way when I was running."

"Perhaps that is for the better." Hmph. Didn't Atlanteans know how important it was for him to run? Well...they lived underwater, so maybe not. Restating his point, Aqualad gestured to M'gann and then to the hallway toward the infirmary. "You normally propel yourself like a cannon ball. It will come as a reminder that you must take it gentle."

"But—but then what's the point on being on the field if I can't run into people?" Unfair!

"I am your leader." They were still adapting to one another's capabilities and handicaps, and challenging Kaldur's orders was his own sympathy to troubling subjects. First was Robin's ego when the kid was shown incapable of leading, and now it was Wally. A certain sternness rested in Kaldur's voice, brotherly and concerned, but overshadowed by his first duty. "Wear the sling or do not go onto the battlefield at all until you are healed. The latter best suits my concern."

"But—but!" In the long-run, it made more sense for the team, but it was seriously _unfair._

"Just go with it, Wally." M'gann floated in the air with a sympathetic smile and placed her hands behind her back. "Please?"

"_Go with it._" Ooh. Right. Threat from Supey kinda overruled everything else.

Wally looked over to the Boy Scout's clone, still a bit uncertain, but that menacing blue glare simply reminded him why he was there. A sigh escaped his lips, and he slumped against the seat, arm resting at his torso. "Okay."

"Great." Kaldur's relief could be sensed in his tone. "M'gann, come with me to the infirmary. I am sure we will find at least a…makeshift sling for Kid for his way home."

"Sure." She giggled, brightening at least three magnitudes as she landed on her feet.

"Man. I never get to do _anything_ fun." Wally harrumphed, attempted to stretch, and was rewarded with another gruesome pain in the neck. Groaning, he turned around and met Superboy's hard gaze. "Uh—whoa. Kinda creeping much, don't you think?"

"You're lucky." Superboy leaned over and refilled his plate with spaghetti and handed a different plate to the speedster. "You were only out for three days and the state of your body says you're already halfway through the healing process."

"I don't take it for granted." Joking with a Human Weapon was kind of hard—especially if he didn't know how to express himself. Instead, Wally crossed his legs, gentle with his casted arm, and offered a sharpie. "Though to avoid using it, I try not to get caught up in explosives. You wanna sign?"

Superboy lowered his gaze, lips locked in a straight line as the yellow cast was put before him, and he turned it over. "Robin's name isn't on here."

"Bats still won't let him use his real name. And I've known him long enough that I'm not gonna press him for it." Crap.

The look on Superboy's face softened into mild frustration—_oh crap, oh crap, oh crap—_and he looked down to his feet. "I don't have a name."

"Right—I—_sorry._" Dammit, why did the cat have to rip his tongue out _now_? "You could sign like, John Hancock?"

"John Hancock. One of the men who signed the Declaration of Independence with the largest signature in order to…'piss off' the King of England. That," Superboy mumbled brusquely, "or do you mean the movie?"

"You actually watched the movie when I brought it?" Nervous laugh. If Supey went on another rampage, then it would be on his head.

"Yeah. Though using the name Will Smith is about as generic as you can get." Blue eyes narrowed, tone yet again sarcastic, and a small smile spread across his lips. Wally was right—it did look good on him. The smile itself seemed half forced and half-real.

"We'll find you a name. I promise." Wally nudged the boy with his knee and returned with another smile. "Till then, you could always sign it 'Supey.' I do love calling you that."

"…I've never actually had to wield a pen before. Or sit at a desk."

"You can't be as bad as Roy when it comes to your penmanship. Here—just try it. You can color coordinate, too, if you want." Wally flashed a grin. "Blue and red?"

"Black." That being said, Superboy slowly pushed his food away. He took the pen carefully in his hand, and took grasped the other with a bit of hesitation.

"Go on," Wally urged.

"Robin could always just write his name—"

"I'm sure he doesn't want the name 'Robin' to be mistaken as a girl's name." Wally smiled at Superboy's gently _firm_ touch and didn't cringe in the slightest as Superboy lightly wrote his name. He waited, green eyes observing the blue orbs in front of him, followed by the adorable look of concentration that marred the taller's face.

When at peace with himself, Superboy looked nothing like the human weapon Kadmus made him out to be. Their last conversation fluttered to mind—along with the innocence and intelligence that came with it. No doubt, Supey was a little messed up in the head, but there were small moments where even _he_ just looked like a misunderstood kid. Supes was nearly twice Wally's size, dealing with puberty and other things.

Plus, regarding their conversation, he was now a little curious which way Superboy really swung.

"You should get your dick to sign it."

"My _what?_" Wally retracted his arm, choking on another laugh as he inspected the perfect _Supey_ written well on his arm. He looked to the other teenager, who was absolutely serious, and arched an eyebrow.

"Right." There was no apology to this. Great, the guy was a gentleman to women, but when it came to catching a guy off guard, he had no clue what to do. Instead of one of Superboy's little mood swings, the tall Kryptonian clone cocked an eyebrow. "Not that dick. The Richard-Dick."

The Richard-Dick._ Dick Grayson_.

"Right," Wally breathed. One mention of the name and he could already feel his blood reacting. It tingled with delight, and he slumped so badly into the chair that his knees were touching the table. "_That _Dick."

"You look like you just got out of a battle with Mister Twister."

"Sounds about right." Or something like that. He was still trying to figure out why just a mention of Dick Grayson made him giddy when so many other people wouldn't. Two seconds ago, Dick wasn't even on his mind—but one freaking conversation and a walk to Wayne Industries felt like he'd known the guy for _years._ The age didn't matter—in fact, wasn't Grayson in middle school? With a visible age gap, not very many people managed to make Wally West forget how old he was. When he finally snapped out of his thoughts, Superboy, again, was staring him in the face. "Yeah?"

"Your complexion turned dark as your hair." Superboy's scrutiny increased. "I thought it only occurs when a human is shameful, embarrassed, or modest."

"You also thought it never possible to fall in love with a man." Hmm. The conversation he had with Dick's adoptive father didn't lead to any threats. There wasn't any glaring (other than the creepy one when they first locked eyes with one another), and Dick was never mentioned in the conversation after Wally explained how they met. Though he doubted he was on the good side of a billionaire.

"…Kaldur's been teaching me more about emotions, since Batman limits himself to the extent of my powers." Superboy clasped his hands together, gaze darkening. Brooding glass blue eyes stared Wally in the face, and he could feel his skin darken another pigment or two. Superboy had all of the attributes of Dick Grayson—just none of the hype. "He says if I don't know what it is, then I should take a forward approach."

"So you're saying I should go up to him and be friends?"

Superboy's face twisted with adorable confusion. "I find it hard to believe that you would get this worked up over a friend. Your blood is pumping."

His blood? "You did _not_ just X-Ray vision me."

"There's only one other person in the world who has you acting like this. It's kind of irritating."

"Yeah? Well…your face." Kid stuck his tongue out and was graciously rewarded with a tiny smirk. "So…who's the other person?"

"Uuh, Kid?" The door burst open, followed by bubbly Miss Martian, who immediately flew to their side, sling in hand and a nervous smile. "You might wanna run."

"Why? _Ooh_, that hurts." Kid cringed and recoiled before delicately wrapping his arm himself.

"_Wally_!" Well, crap.

"LookslikeIgottarun, _bye_!" Wally stood to his feet, cringing less now that the sling firmly held his arm in place, and zoomed out the back exit, hightailing a step or two faster than his uncle so he could return after being away for—he checked his watch. What the hell! Only thirty minutes!

In his peripherals, he could see a blur of red, and contemplated what Superboy said. It'd only take him a second or two to reach the house, and although Flash was inching _precariously closer_, he'd make it.

Would it be alright, he wondered, to visit Dick? He'd have to make up an awful web of lies so he didn't seem suspicious, and the last time he tried that…Wally grimaced.

A hand grazed his leg, and the speedster almost tripped. "Slow _down_, I'm still processing the ice cream tonight!"

Oops. More running, less thinking.

**xxxxxx**

**Author's Note: **

I've always kinda seen Speedy, Wally, and Dick as a trio or something. Anyway, there's a bit of messing with their personalities for a bit before I get into the swing of things, I get the warm fuzzies going, I suggest listening to the song, _First Dance_ by NeverShoutNever. Have been wanting to use that song for a while in a story. : ) I didn't expect so many reviews, so thank you very much; I'm incredibly flattered!


	4. Civvies

**HeyBabySoSad **Haha, enjoy the next chapter! **Small J **Supey is really adorable, I love handling him in this sense. xD Though with the progression in the series, I'll have to tweak him a little in the story. **Loko **I think it's a bit too early to be mentioning sex. xD;; They do mention it sometime later in the story though. **VampirePrinssess **I don't think you want as much food as Wally, considering how much he eats. xD Oreo Pie does sound nice though. C: **HinaLuvLuvChan **That won't be for a while, honestly. There are some points and character development I'd like to get across in the story before it happens. :) **LorelaitheHiden **Brilliant? I've never gotten a comment like that, actually. xD So thank you! **Liesurestars **There'll be more of that to come. I just love hearing Dick wrestling in his head when it comes to Wally though. xD **vudupins **Hehe, me neither. This chapter was pretty fun to write; I like pointing out how much a manwhore Wally can be. xD; **Zuzubear **I do believe they're a trio though, isn't that right? Eh, who knows. I could just be hallucinating. xD;; **CrimsonMoon14 **Writing long chapters, to be honest, is incredibly fun. xD The only hard part for me as a writer is that it's incredibly impossible for me to write a oneshot. Can't get myself to condense a story idea for the life of me. **Little-kiwi-boi **That's really flattering! Thank you so much! C: **Grim Lullaby **Oh dear goodness, this review's a doozy. xD; It actually just says "science protégé," so I'm wondering how far his knowledge really extends. All I know is, I took Chemistry as a sophomore and proudly passed with a C. …that's a poor way to put it, but it's true. I've never broken anything, and I'm torn between wanting to and never at all because I'm one of those people whines a lot. xD Anatomy isn't one of my strong points (though there's a class for that), so I honestly wouldn't know. And Reeses are amazing. I found an awesome recipe for a Reeses cupcake and wanna make one. **Sexy Robin Alert **Haha, that's what this arc of the story's going to focus a lot on, sooo yeah. **Kazu0 **Whoops, that was a typo. Fix'd. :D **autumn **Really? xD; He's always been sort of a womanizer to me, but he's so charming that he can get away with it. **theMagicBehindtheMask **Actually the first time I read this you tempted me to read all the comic books and try to go against _everything you disagreed with_ to see how far you'd stick into the story. I'd never do that (intentionally), but the thought was pretty darn interesting. xD **r a a i n **…I am so unbilingual that it's sad. xD **Peace **Thank you! Enjoy the next chapter! **Charisma B **I hope to write more of Roy in the future, honestly. It'll be fun. C': **missjinx **My apologies. Generally without the review wall I just reply via PM and since you don't have an account, I couldn't. So for those I put a note before the story and forgot all about it. xD;; And…I think I'm just known for putting quirks in writing. C': Giotto's bad driving, Kid Flash's eating habits and Robin's words. …Well, honestly I think they already have their own little quirks. xD **Akuno Hikari **I take it you read MMWWJE too? Haha, Wally's just far too amazing on his own. **Chibi-Roy-Chan **Fantasique! Enjoy this chapter! :D **Just A Girl With A Keyboard **Haha, thanks. So if you're a girl with a keyboard, where's the guy with the monitor? O: **ChikaraDesu **Updates are gonna be attempted once a week! :) **.adagio **I like your name, first of all. And then the Dick jokes are gonna be recurring, me thinks. xD **xDrEaMeRx4Xeva **Haha; enjoy this update! **Magnie Clane**__Good to know! Enjoy this chapter!

**Civvies. **

After living with Bruce Wayne for four years, the guy had become irrepressibly predictable.

True, he was a bit stricter and less of a playboy, drawing in and out of Batman to Brucie more and more as Dick got comfortable living in the Wayne Manor. Nothing new. His adopted father actually had a sweet tooth, sometimes eating a bit more than Dick himself—or worse—_KF_—but worked it off in hours at the gym and taking out baddies. Still, Dick insisted in his head and to Alfred that the Bat was predictable. He combed his hair the same way, pressed the suit tight against biceps only Superman could match, and had the same thing every morning. Dick learned quickly _Batman_ said no to most things, but when there was a bit of pity, Bruce's soft spot allowed him to get away with some things.

Wally wasn't one of them.

Convinced that Dick sometimes knew the Bat's mind better than the night crawler did himself, he was sure there was at least an ounce in Bruce's conscience that would soon say, "When you're ready, you can tell him."

Right now, the plan was never to see Wally again, so long as he was Dick Grayson.

Unfortunately, seeing someone normally involved two parties: the Seeker and the Snitch.

Wednesday was by far one of Dick's satisfactory days, knowing that the weekend was only two days away and the excitement got better as he looked forward to seeing the team. They were predictable: wake up after only a talented hour of sleep, brush teeth, eat, show up all the idiots in his class at school, baked potato day, show up all the morons in gym, then leave.

"Hey." No Wallys involved. At least, that was the plan. Wally apparently was Harry Potter, who now had the snitch semi-trapped as Dick exited the school, Ronny (or, _Veronica¸ _he thought with a roll of the eyes) on the right and Dani on the other. What was it with girls and squealing?

Oh, and Wally totally had to be the snitch. The golden-yellow color could only do him so much justice.

"Hi," Ronny immediately said, giddy as ever as she extended an arm. "You might not remember me, but I'm—"

"Veronica." Wally flashed a smile but—what was this?

Dick, who had remained silent the entire time while watching Ronny and Dani squeal all over his best friend, who, _by the way_ did not realize Robin was actually him, looked to Wally from head-to-toe, and noted that the redhead's blindingly yellow cast showed proudly in an awkward red sling. A backpack rested over Wally's other shoulder, making him slouch just a little, but what was more surprising was the way Wally greeted them. No longer was there that cheesy, flirty tone, but a certain calmness. There was a charm in Wally's voice, and he didn't have to force it out.

Plus, when were those animated green eyes that dark?

"Hey," Dick said back, remembering to force it up an octave or two and to pretend it hadn't solidified yet. Robin's voice was maybe half an octave lower. Dick Grayson's was having a never-ending battle with puberty.

Oddly enough, the look across Wally's face didn't change. He pulled out three sharpies, lips beaming into a smile that—that Dick had never seen, actually. Even as Robin, where Kid Flash was just being himself, Dick had never seen him look so calm but enthusiastic. "You wanna sign?"

"Sure!" Ronny and Dani bit back matching squirms, and they were all over the boy like muscles to a body builder.

"Here," Dick said hesitantly. Darn Alfred for raising him as a gentleman! He stood closer to Wally, carefully letting him take off the sling and thought, why not? His fingers fumbled with the straps of Wally's backpack when—"Oof!"

"You don't have to carry that," Wally said quickly, eyebrow arched. "That thing weighs a ton."

"I kinda figured that out when it landed on my foot, K—" Oh, no, no! Robin, get _back_ to the little birdy's nest; that was a secret Bruce was gonna kill him for if he let it out so quickly. He did not just jump the aster for almost calling Wally _Kid._ Dick faked a wince, and it was amazing how despite Wally being the one with a handicap, the older teenager immediately descended to his knees to examine the pain. Really, Wally ran all the way from Central City with _this_ on his back?

"Here, let me—"

"No, it's fine." Seriously? He was going to let a stupid _book bag_ get the better of him? There was a better chance of him batarang-ing Princess Zelda in Twilight Princess! Though hacking the game would be fairly easy—no, no! Not the time, he was getting outdone by a bag!

"Thanks." Wally's voice snapped him out of his frustrated rapture, and he noticed the older teenager now had his slung return over his arm, smile on his face before bidding the girls goodbye. Of course they pouted, but with a giddy squeal they left.

Success! "Why'd you say goodbye to them?"

"Girls crack my style."

"Highly doubt that." Without missing a beat, Dick flashed a grin, a bit of Robin peaking through the cracks of his voice.

"It's 5:34," Wally said, changing the subject entirely as he led through the streets of Gotham without having any idea where to go. Dick would have known; a two year friendship with his best friend occasionally coming into Gotham with his mentor and still the stupid speedster had no clue how to get around. "What were you still doing at the school?"

"Stuff." Dick shrugged. Robotics Club. The less Wally knew about Dick, the easier it would be and less painful if one day, Wally and the gang really _did_ know who he was. Forcing away the tempting idea to bite his lip in frustration, the younger teenager darted his eyes toward the ground. "I do a lot of stuff."

"No wonder." Wally flashed one of his cheeky grins (at least _that_ looked familiar) and craned his neck. With the sling around his shoulder, it didn't look very comfortable. "Bruce Wayne's your dad and stuff, so he probably donates to your school a lot, huh? Looks ten times better than my school."

"I see." Plain and simple. Wally liked to chatter up his company, if only to be polite if he couldn't find anything to be spastic about. Watching said Blab try to play a conversation up with Superboy was highly entertaining since they were talking about a guy who strived for chatter and another who was born as a weapon.

"I've got a friend who goes to your school." No really, genius? "He's kind of OCD."

Him? OCD? Unable to help himself, Dick stood maybe three inches higher with a heavy 3-ton bag digging into his bum and arched an eyebrow, blue orbs flickering with mischief. "Is he a cool guy?"

Certainly _that_ grin Dick knew well, watching as the excitable speedster straightened with an eager demeanor. "He's spectacular. Best friend I've ever had."

If that wasn't a compliment, then the former acrobat had no clue what was. Stunned, he felt his ears turn bright pink in sweet surprise as Wally bounced over cracks in the sidewalk and told stories Dick either was familiar with or knew by heart. "Isn't it lying a bit thick if you say he's the best friend you've ever had? You live all the way in Kansas."

"Eh, we have…regularly scheduled meetings." And so began the cryptic messages that a normal idiot would acknowledge then ignore. Dick supposed that if he was supposed to drive Wally away (um, ouch) then he could do it by freaking the guy out.

"Where?"

"Um. His house."

"Are we going to swing by there?"

"Er, not likely."

"If he goes to my school, then how come you're picking me up instead of him?" In freaking Wally out in the most accurate, _detailed_ questions, Dick forgot that he was supposed to be facing the awkward stage of hormones and pubescence. His voice dived to its comfortable octave, Robin clearly leaking through as he feigned innocence and bit back a smirk as ornate green eyes tried to make sense of what was being asked. God, he loved being the adoptive son to a domineering bad-cop detective.

He didn't expect for Wally to fall quiet, the predominant _weirded-out_ look across his face to switch into a twist of the speedster's lips, and for Wally to actually contemplate the question. "He's kind of…well, he's too flashy to be called shy. But he's really…_secretive._ Doesn't get to do much, with the Ba—er, with his…job."

"You don't seem too happy about it." Though, ever since their little meeting in the hospital yesterday Dick's mind had been pestering him about the way Wally acted. In the red sling (which Dick struggled to reach over and loosen for the dork), Wally's cast had been signed by all his classmates, along with four prominent other signatures: Kaldur, Megan, Supey, and Kid Flash. He rolled his eyes—Wally _would _be arrogant enough to sign his own name for the attention.

Even Roy signed his name.

Seeing that yesterday made Dick uncomfortable, both because his somewhat big brother figure popped in without even a hello and that Speedy was comfortable signing his name.

"It's not something you're particularly happy or sad about," Wally started again, apparently not noticing his internal struggle, "it's just kinda…there. Rob may be my best friend like, _ever_, so I do have a lot of respect for him."

Oh, he better. Dick suppressed the light blush tickling his ears and offered a lopsided smile, hands shoving into his pockets. "Is that the reason why _Rob_ hasn't signed his name on your cast?"

He knew fairly well that it wasn't fair to any of his friends that he couldn't tell his name. Batman had trust issues with problems like that in the past, and not only was he compliant with his adoptive father, but the link was easy: once you figured out who Robin, the Boy Wonder was, figuring out the Wayne-man was the Caped Crusader wasn't hard.

"Like I said, pretty secretive."

"And it doesn't bother you one bit," Dick said with obvious deadpan. He arched an eyebrow, clearly confused while Wally flashed a nervous grin. When Wally couldn't think of a good lie, he scrunched his nose. He was scrunching his nose.

"Not anymore." Wally arched an eyebrow, proving to be ridiculously uncomfortable with being interrogation.

Only a few more questions, Dick thought victoriously, and Wally would never see Dick Grayson ever aga—

"Rob knows just about every single one of my secrets. I trust him with my life as he does his to me, and it used to hurt that he was…_forbidden_ to trust me with some of the details in his life. Since we're good friends and stuff." What? "But you don't have to know everything about someone to understand they won't betray you."

For once in his life, Dick found himself at a loss for words when it came to the infinite Battle of Wits. "That must have been…I mean…"

He stared at his best friend who he'd known for two years—but had he really known him? Yesterday _Robin_ found out for the first time Wally didn't live with his folks. Today, Dick just…was told something Wally hadn't old Robin. Would _never_ tell.

"Anyway," said the speedster, unskillfully fleeting the subject with his head high in the air. "You wanna sign my cripple-cast or what?"

"You're not crippled," Dick mumbled automatically. He took the pen in hand, suddenly feeling a wave of thick guilt as he took a further analysis into their relationship.

Huh. Half the things so far—including that _look_ Wally would give him—were things he'd never seen on Wally when Robin. Sure, Dick did his fair share of confessing—he hadn't even told Batman he was afraid of the dark for a month when being Robin. But really? To criticize his best friend, was Wally honestly this truthful when in civvies? Was that what he thought of Robin? Wally often couldn't be his first priority because, well, they were so many states apart for one, and his partnership with the Bat was incredibly important. However, they could go maybe two months not seeing each other, meet up, and act as if they'd just seen each other the day before.

Wally probably knew Dick inside and out. It was Robin that had to keep the secrets.

"You okay there?" Wally flashed a look of concern, the curvature returning to his Irish red eyebrow and a bit of a playful smirk spreading across his face. "I don't think you're going to hurt me if you sign, Grayson."

Stick to the plan, stick to the plan! Dick offered his own challenging smirk. "How'd you get this, anyway?"

"Accident with the Joker five days ago before I left to go back to Central City." That came out _way_ too casual for Wally to make it up on the spot.

"Really?" Dick asked, exaggerating an eyebrow in the air. He stared at the cast, blue eyes gleaming with false hesitation. "Most people would be traumatized after a battle with the Joker."

"Eh. Have been through worse."

"Do tell." The younger uncapped the sharpie, eyes never leaving the horrid yellow cast, and he held the tip carefully to the surface. God, how many signatures did Kid _have_ on here? There was barely any room left for another!

"Sign under the arm, next to Bob Hopper." Wally cracked an eager grin, twisting his hand upside down to the only visible blank spot.

"You mean 'Roy Harper'?" Dick arched an eyebrow, but it was true. Roy had the handwriting of a blind worm. Psh, apparently just because you live/mooch off a millionaire, they didn't automatically feel obligated to make you learn other things besides Martial Arts.

"Damn, I'm so used to having people mistake it that even _I'm_ getting it wrong." Suddenly there was a short pause in the redhead's voice and he crinkled his nose. "Oh, uh. You don't mind if I cuss, do you? Since you're in middle school and al—"

"I've heard worse things," Dick said, biting back a grin. Just two weeks ago Wally accused Artemis of being a 'Fucking-Reese-Witherspoon-Only-Totally-Not-as-Fine-and-Sexy-and-Ironically-Stole-Your-Name-From-a-Bitchy-Not-Super-Hot-Goddess-That-Was-Probably-a-Damn-Lesbian.' Funny how at that moment his best friend could be his sassy, smartass self yet right now… Honestly, he'd never seen Wally act so polite—_gentlemanly_ and charming. He wondered how long Wally could go without making a snarky comment.

Well. Not long. They'd just made fun of Roy's handwriting for the umpteenth time. That guy was pretty teenthy, if Robin had a say.

"And you're left-handed." Wally wiggled his eyebrows in the ridiculous way he did when trying to be funny or impress a girl. _Lame._ "So's Rob."

What? Oh, crap. "Ambidextrous."

"What a coincidence," said the redhead with no clear suspicion. A keen smile spread across Wally's face, along with his natural smug as he elbowed Dick so playfully in the arm. "So's he."

"Right. Cool." His voice squeaked maybe another octave, giving him the annoying reminder that getting close to Wally as Dick was by far the _worst_ possible idea in the world.

"Your voice when it squeaks!" Wally cracked up laughing. Immediately Dick burst into a flurry of pink even though he knew himself it was completely fake. Flustered, he opened his mouth to speak before Wally humbly interrupted him. "It's…it's…! It's cute, hehe."

Whoa. There went his blushing ears. Taken aback, bright blue eyes narrowed to the green ones up front, brow arched, and he opened his mouth again to speak. Kid Flash _never_ called him cute, and Wally would _never _dignify himself by touching words like, 'cute,' 'adorable,' or 'wuvly.'

"Oh," Wally sighed blissfully through heavy pants as he continued to laugh. He wiped a tear from his cheek, casually holding out his cast, and cracked a grin. "_Pro-obably_ don't wanna be called cute, do you, Big Man? God, if Rob could see you now."

"You talk about Rob a lot," Dick said, pride a little wounded. This time, his voice _did_ squeak by accident, cracking as he mentioned him…self.

"Sorry." Quickly the redhead's face turned guilty—that was weird—and he dipped his head with a kind grin on his face. "So, you wanna give me a tour of the place?"

"Do you wanna tell me what you're still doing in the city?" He gestured to the stupid Central City High School pin that got him into the trouble of Wally in the first place, feigning irritation. Wally needed to get off his back like, _stat_. "You still have school. I still have school. Oh, and it's Wednesday."

"Well, er…I was…"

"In the _middle_ of the school week. Plus, shouldn't you be in the hospital or something? Bombing accidents with Joker don't normally end up with conscious people. Plus, where are you even _staying_? And, _and_, who's 'Supey'? Did you totally get a signature from Superman? Does that mean you were in Metropolis too, or was he the one who saved you from Joker? Wait, doesn't that mean—"

"My uncle's still talking to Bruce about something."

Dick looked up, matched with his best friend's own look of whelm and surprise at the barricade of questions. Bruce was talking to Barry about something _again_? What problems were the JL facing that forensics couldn't figure out? Seriously! Suddenly he noticed the guilt and worry that teemed in those _stupid_ green eyes and held back the urge to slap Wally—then to slap himself for slapping Wally.

"You don't like me very much, do you?" Wally concluded, voice soft. Yes, say _yes_, say freaking _yes!_

"I'm a bit of a loner, yes." Dick nodded curtly, trying to keep his face together. However, the worse he tried being Dick without an ounce of Robin, the less he liked the outcome.

"Hm." Suddenly Kid Dork frowned, eyes narrowing, and Dick realized that he'd been straining his neck trying to look at the other boy at eye-level. Wally was still a good head taller than him. "I'll leave you be, then. Maybe go see if my uncle's done talking to the Wayne-man. Ooh, I should see if I can get an autograph, too."

"Autographs are cool."

"I'll see you then?" No, never again! Success!

"Right." To prove his "confession" that he detested an annoying speedster following him around like a lost puppy, he tilted his head to the side but found it very hard to keep a frown. One more look at the freckles on Wally's face and all he wanted to do was burst into snickers going, 'Gotcha! In your face!'

"Bye." Wally took a step back and—and he wasn't grinning, or _trying_ to smile because of a bad-happening. No joke, he was just…faking a smile with the hurt obvious in his eyes. Dick had only seen this once; a year back when Kid was spazzing over some stupid date with a girl at his school, then broke up, leaving Kid in annoying, sobby bits and pieces. Apparently they played ukulele together. He grabbed the backpack from the younger teenager with grace, grunting only little when the weight pressed against his shoulder.

Suddenly twenty pounds lighter, a stunned Dick opened his mouth to speak and managed a weak, "Goodbye."

Um, wow.

Standing like an idiot in the middle of the park, Dick waited until Wally was out of view, probably using his super speed or drowning his sorrows in ice cream, burritos and pizza. His chest ached.

Even two years ago when KF and he first met, being away from the guy was kind of annoying. He remembered bugging Batman all the time on when was the next time they'd see the speedsters (who grumbled something about, 'Damn metas' and rolled his eyes when the fridge had been moderately raided) after just one meeting. Technically this was the second as "Dick Grayson" and "Wally West," but just like then, his chest felt empty.

Seriously? Wally totally had a personality attack just then talking to Dick Grayson. Wally depicted himself as a smartass, flirty babe magnet who loved his job as the Flash's sidekick—_partner_—and quite frankly was a bit of a manwhore. The Wally Dick'd just seen was a _dork._

His cheerful, goofy self, obviously, but when did Wally manage to bite back a snarky comment or keep his patience?

"Then again," Dick announced to no one as he decided to rest on a bench, arms crossed. Having Wally act like that was a nice change. Was it the fact they were both in civvies, or was there an ulterior motive to Wally being sillier than normal? Huh. "Bah. Ice cream time!"

His comm.-link vibrated.

Dick blinded and shoved a hand down his pocket with quaint curiosity before putting it in his ear. "Robin. What's going down?"

"_Dude, chill, it's just me."_ Wally.

It'd been only what—Dick checked his watch, eyebrow arched. Five minutes, tops. "Yes?"

"_Flash is in town talking to Bat about something, and then swinging by Wayne Industries for some junk. Figure my best bud and I could hang out till then—what do you say?" _I just hung out with you. That'd be what he'd say.

Dick wrinkled his nose, carefully looking around to see if anyone noticed him, then shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

"_Where are you? I'll zip by—"_

"Meet you in fifteen minutes," he said hurriedly. His shades were back at home, and despite being stupid Wally would get suspicious wondering why Dick and Robin were in the same clothes. "Er, twenty. I'm, uh. Playing Black Ops."

"_Black Ops?"_ Cripes. You could _hear_ Wally bouncing up and down from the other side of the comm.-link. "Dude, you have _got_ to let me play! I so freaking _dominate_ at that game—"

"No!" Think of a lie, think of a lie—"I'm—I'm making out with a girl!"

Silence. "Dude. You, with a girlfriend?"

"It could happen." Dick raised one eyebrow in the air. "Women find me attractive."

"_Women find you cute, adorable, and wuvable, Mister Boy Wonder. Oh, don't stop me—you kids just have your fun." _

"What's so fun about making out?" Disregarding his statement that women found him attractive (well, they _did_), he hadn't the slightest idea why testosterone made most guys so stupid and eager for sex. Sure, get kissed by a girl get weak in the knees. Get one on the lips and faint—_so_ not a big deal.

On the other side, Wally burst out laughing just like when the speedster'd called him cute. This time, however, there was less tenderness in the way he spoke; nothing like Dick to Wally. _"Oh my __**god**_**, **_if I meet up with you and you seriously don't have a limp in your step, then you so don't know the proper way to makeout!" _

"What do you mean, _the proper way?_ Whatever!" Dick huffed into the comm.-set, arms folded childishly. "Robin, _out. _Meet me at Flo's Dining!"

He killed communications with Wally's laughing still fresh in his ears. With a different harrumph, Dick treaded home, keeping in mind to avoid any schoolmates during his tirade. One goodbye to a tepid butler, a pair of shades, and an annoying outfit change later, he—

"Alfred, did you make one of your totally awesome sundaes again?" Dick promptly ruffled his hair in the way only civvies-Robin could handle and stepped idly into the kitchen where the ice cream could be seen.

"Master Wallace seemed to like it last time." A curt smile graced the butler's face as he held the feather duster in one hand and a mop in the other. "Perhaps you should invite him over."

"How'd you know I gave it to Wally? Gah, never mind. Batman would _kill_ me if he knew I was still conspiring with Wally." An exasperated sigh escaped his lips. Robin, decked out in his tinted glasses, North Place jacket, and sweatshirt, pouted, and carefully took hold. "Now I have to—"

"Unspire with him, Master Richard?"

"Oh, you know it. This isn't whelming. Not whelming at all."

Five minutes later found Robin parking the R-Cycle in a dark alleyway between Flo's Dining and the arcade. He looked around, glad the optics were only dark on the exterior of his shades, before showing up in the parking lot. "Oof!"

Then being yanked into the diner by someone who resembled an excitable puppy.

"Dude! Did you know they have ice cream in _seventeen different flavors?_ And _burgers —_**oh my god **_burgers!" _Wally grabbed the first booth he saw, almost super humanly pushing Robin into the seat corresponding to his own. Freckles jumbling together, Wally waved the menu in Robin's face and flipped through, page-by-page. "Ow! Did you just _kick me_?'

"Slow _down_, Kid. You're gonna end up freaking out all of the customers and go hyper-speed on everything. Oh, and yeah." Robin cracked a grin and leaned back in his seat. "I totally just kicked you."

"Hmph." Wally smirked, still casually flipping through the menu. A soft groan escaped his throat and he rolled his eyes. "Ugh. You know what sucks about HA Healing? The meds. Instead of lasting four freaking hours, I probably have maybe a good two minutes before I get _burning. Horrible. Pain._"

"That's one way to keep you from overdosing." Really, hyper accelerated healing was probably the best gift ever invented for Wally considering the guy was more accident prone than a stupid girl driving and texting at the same time.

A sigh of relief threatened to escape his lips, along with something else he couldn't quite touch. Sure, having Kid as he was on the other side of the booth was nice, but clearly there was a lacking level of…intimacy. Camaraderie yes, but having Wally be goofy around him was kind of nice.

"So, any idea what you-know-who and the other you-know-who are up to?" Wally arched an eyebrow, frown spreading across his lips, and a groan of pain escaped his lips.

"You could take your meds again if they've seriously already worn off." Proving his point, Robin reached over the table and unzipped the front compartment. "And nah. Anything involving the JLA in any way the big guy just doesn't tell me. Sometimes gotta figure it out myself—then when that happens, apparently I say something cryptic that helps him solve the mystery."

"Can't. Iris and Barry still won't let me risk taking meds too early." Wally rolled his eyes, batting the capsules away. "And let me guess: after that, Batman takes all the credit for himself?"

"Like always. What's the point in being part of a dynamic duo if only one of you gets the credit?"

"Heroes are stupid. Sidekicks are where it's at."

They sighed dramatically, tossing their heads back as another groan of pain gurgled out of Wally. Just the right time since the waitress just came.

"How long do you think they'll be?" Dick snatched the menu from his best friend, eyes narrowed pointlessly through dark shades and handed them to the waitress. She stared at him, frowning, before flashing Wally a look of pity and batting her eyelashes.

"See you in a bit, beautiful." Wally popped a grin and did that wiggle-thing with his eyebrows. She giggled. Oh God, he was seriously _flirting_? "Ow! Will you _stop_ kicking me under the table?"

"Answer my question first?" The bright side of Dick and Wally was that Robin didn't need to worry about KF's hormones checking out other girls. No in fact, Wally kept 100% of his attention on Dick. Too bad that wasn't the case. He felt his stomach turn in knots, but quickly pushed the thought away.

"Hmm, depends. Uncle Barry didn't look all too enthusiastic when Batman called him a couple hours ago." Wally shrugged and placed a hand on his jaw. Suddenly he froze and oddly enough his entire demeanor changed. Robin caught his breath, fingers tightening around condiments as he felt his chest pumping again. This wasn't a normal Robin look—this was a Dick look. "Kinda begged him to go see this kid I met, actually."

Robin decided to take out a napkin and draw ketchup tic-tac-toe. "Oh. Really?"

Wait, _begged_? At that moment a large squirt of ketchup exploded from the tip and landed across the entire table. Wally snorted, grin on his face as people around them looked with hawk eyes, then grabbed a napkin. "Nice going, Boy Wonder. Wait until I tell the Batman that you were at the hands of a vegetable."

"For your information, tomatoes are _fruit._ And what do you mean _begged_?" Oh damn, his voice just cracked again. Robin arched an eyebrow—begging, hilariously enough, was not beneath Kid Moron, but normally he would have to be pretty desperate if it was seriously that important.

"The kid I met—remember, Dick Grayson?" An overdramatic sigh fell from Wally's lips, and he leaned back, met with the wall before wiggling his eyebrows to the same waitress. She giggled and he rolled his eyes. "Barry grounded me for sneaking out yesterday after dinner dressed as KF. Basically I'm not allowed to go anywhere unless he approves."

"What about partnership? The _Hideout_?"

"He'll be meeting us there for the next mission or something, apparently." Wally rolled his eyes and pouted. Suddenly his demeanor changed, downcast, and looked to the smeared ketchup. "So after he finally said yes—ooh, and told me to keep you busy or something—I went around looking for Dick. You're in school with him, right?"

"Can't say I know him personally." Robin's voice dropped, hair tickling the back of his neck. Then again he couldn't say he wasn't familiar with Dick Grayson either.

"God, he's _awesome._ I mean I normally don't like hanging out with younger kids—other then you, and sometimes you aren't even that bearable—but it was easy to talk to him." Wally picked at his hair, and another Dick-look fell across his features. No way. Wally was being _serious._

Heat fluttered in the younger teenager's cheeks, and he hadn't the slightest idea what to say.

"I mean, come on. You know what I mean, right?" Wally arched an eyebrow, somber easily twinkling in his eyes, and leaned forward. "Beating up baddies and all—hanging out with the other guys, then going to school? Either you're the superhero or the kid—you're always trying to keep a secret or two up in your arsenal, and it's damn _annoying._ Dick was different."

"He didn't realize you were a big idiot right off the bat?" Robin cracked a nervous grin hoping his best friend would remain oblivious.

"Pshh, he probably did. Wouldn't doubt it. You ever find him, don't tell him I thought it was cute how he tried to carry my backpack." Wally grinned. "The thing's like three times his size."

"Not three times his size," Robin chimed automatically. Then again he bit back a groan, soreness pressing against his back for so much pressure. Sure, throwing around his own bodyweight was what an acrobat did for a living. Own weight plus whatever the hell was in Wally's backpack? Not so much.

"Yeah? Well, the more I tried being his friend, the less he seemed to like me. Or he did like me, and was keeping it to himself. Sort of like how Bats still won't let us know who you are, Rob." Wally nodded his head to prove a point. _How ironic._ "Soo, we parted ways today and I never have to make a big idiot out of myself ever again."

"That's a good thing, right?" Robin grabbed the mustard and began making a smiley face. Ooh, with bat wings!

"Not…really." _SPLURRT._ "Dude—it didn't work the _first_ time you tried making tic-tac-toe! Seriously, give it up; by the time we're done eating here I'm going to be seeing _orange._"

"They're defective!" Robin insisted. He frowned crookedly, cheeks flaring. Of all the condiments that the diner had, they had to be stuck with the ones that were attuned to his freaking emotions. "So why isn't it a good thing?"

Why couldn't Wally be upcast? That would have made his life so much easier. "Because talking to him for those few minutes was nice. It made me feel like _Wally_, and made me forget about having secrets, and we just _clicked_. I…I loved it. You know, not holding secrets. I could seriously be myself and actually forgot I _was_ Kid Flash, trying to hide things about Wally, or Wally trying to hide things about Kid Flash."

The bottle fell between Robin's hands. With surprise he looked back to the redhead and found Wally with an earnest face. There was truth in what Wally had said. Robin and Kid Flash were pretty much on two opposite ends of the spectrum. He, of course, got the guy who swore vengeance over those that mugged his family and followed in suit. Wally? According to thirteen-year-old Kid Flash to eleven-year-old Robin, KF woke up every day in a dream. They had polar opposite motives for their line of duty.

Ugh.

"Why don't you try to talk to him again?" Batman was going to _kill _him.

Predictably Wally cocked his head just as the food arrived and blinked in surprise. It was enough under his best friend's scrutiny to squirm (something Robin _did not_ do) but the younger teen pretended not to notice. "Got any advice for me to be his friend?"

"Dick has personal issues over things." He looked up, unfortunate Wally's upcast caused his own downcast, and stared the redhead in the face. Green orbs suddenly sparkled—another freaking _Dick look_—and Robin felt his stomach churn. Sure, lying to some kid in his class about what he'd done last night? No big deal. Staring his best friend in the face when said friend thought he was talking to someone else? Not so much. "And um. You didn't make fun of his voice, did you?"

To that Wally cracked a sheepish, guilty grin. "Er. It was cute."

"_Ye-eah_, don't call him cute." It made him flustered. "He's kinda shy. And has trust issues. How'd you meet him, anyway?"

In an instant the look contorted over Wally's face, returning to his usual arrogance as he leaned back with a smug smile. "I totally saved him from a bully."

Only because Dick wasn't allowed to jujitsu their butts into the next century. "Guys like Dick aren't easily impressed. Getting on his good side is pretty easy. Getting on his I'll-Trust-You-with-My-Life side is a little challenging."

Not everyone had a giant bat as their legal guardian.

"And you think this will get him to, you know, like me?"

"I swear, if you start vibrating through the chair, the mustard and ketchup combo is not what we'll have to worry about once that Shelly-girl comes back." Dick jabbed his finger accusingly and sighed in relief when Shelly, the waitress, finally came back with their order.

"Here's your order, babe." She looked at the mess splattered across the table, shooting Robin the most accusatory glare he'd ever seen before smiling angelically to Wally and an annoying, high-pitched giggle just like Ronny and Dani. "Does your brother need a _kiddie menu_?"

She so did not just go there. Robin rolled his eyes while Wally's attention flipped from Dick to the food. "What brother, beautiful? He's my date."

Which was where Robin almost cracked up laughing. Wally and he, _on a date_? He looked to his best friend whose half-hearted response earned a sputtering waitress. Green eyes were apparently absorbed in the desert coupons offered. It was only a matter of time before he found—

"Dude! Holy crap, they make banana split brownie pizza!" Wally licked his lips and lowered his voice. "You wanna share? _You can lick the wax paper!~_ Okay maybe not. I might wanna lick all the crème off."

"What makes you think there's going to be any _crème_ left?"

"It either all goes in my mouth or all over my face. Or your face. Either way I'll roll over happy tonight."

Shelly the Waitress still stood there with red rushing to her face in definitive humiliation. Yup, Robin thought with a smirk. Wally and he were both pretty upcast now. "I just…you…"

"What, beautiful?" Finally the redhead turned her way, grin spread across his face. "So, can you order me that banana split brownie pizza? _Extra_ whipped crème and _extra_ strawberries?"

"And bananas." If this really was how Wally acted on a date, Robin pitied any girl willing to put up with him. "He really likes bananas."

Instead of shrieking and throwing a fit like both boys expected, Shelly's lip curled into a visible pout. Her eyes watered, fists shaking before she sped out the restaurant into the back room. Once gone they erupted into laughter despite all the odd looks they were getting.

"What is up with you, man?" Robin grinned and blissfully sighed, hand on his stomach. "Normally you jump any girl you can get."

"Call it a…change of heart." Wally arched a playful eyebrow and smirked. "Don't get me wrong, dude—normally I'd tease you into the next century, but you managed to cheer me up a bit."

"You've been smiling the whole time."

"Yeah? Well, my kind of 'cheered up' is different from most people's. C'mon, me without my dashing grin?" The speedster puffed his chest out to prove his point, then groaned in pain with an adherent jerk to his broken arm. "Most things don't make me miserable. _Bu-ut_,I was pretty bummed about Dick before you cheered me up."

"I'll reiterate my point then." Robin cocked an eyebrow before taking pity on the poor waitress, grabbing a napkin to wipe away crusty mustard and ketchup. "Wouldn't that make you want to _date a girl_?"

He picked up the small container filled with sugar and scooted it toward the middle.

"Surprisingly enough," Wally said as his face twisted with wide eyes, "I think I have my sights set on someone. And it's not Megan."

"Artemis?"

"'_Missy_? Omigod, you ever mention her on this 'date' again and we're not gonna have another."

"Well then, _who_?" Robin rolled his eyes. Apparently even after a few weeks together, Kid Horny and the _Fucking-Reese-Witherspoon-Only-Totally-Not-as-Fine-and-Sexy-and-Ironically-Stole-Your-Name-From-a-Bitchy-Not-Super-Hot-Goddess-That-Was-Probably-a-Damn-Lesbian_ still had problems getting along.

"Well, he's a little too young and that kinda freaks me out and—"

"Slow _down_ mean anything to you?"

"Dick."

Um. Robin blinked, eyes following his best friend's blush as it went from his toes to the ridiculously wind-swept hair Wally had no idea how to control. "Excuse me?"

"I…like Dick Grayson, I _think_." Hurriedly Wally added, "But since he's so young and everything, it's not like I'm going to cross the line. And I need to get to know him. I mean, I'll make it as _platonic as possible_, and if he doesn't want a relationship, I'll just—omigod, _again_?"

Needless to say Robin accidently knocked over the sugar.

**xxxxx **

Two more days with the guy and Wally still couldn't figure out Dick Grayson's sexuality.

Actually it was like Dick's personality had foregone a bit of a change the second time Wally casually strolled into Gotham. He tried best not to look _desperate_, even formulating a plan if the guy demanded what he was doing there. Rob was in Gotham, so that would have been a good excuse. However he didn't expect for Dick to stumble upon him, looking like the epitome of nervousness, and apologize for his rude behavior.

"I'm," Dick explained with a perfect blush that almost looked rehearsed, "not very good with words."

Speechless, Wally didn't almost hear himself say, "E-Er, no sweat, dude. I'm also a little forward."

Funny. There was that glint again in Dick's vibrant blue eyes, but he continued with a hand extended in the air and a darker blush. "Friends?"

"Friends." Secretly Wally was jumping for joy.

And like promised, the speedster was taking it slow. The more he found out about Grayson (he played _Black Ops!_ Wally was in love!), the more he had to keep from jumping up and down because of that damn hyper accelerated _everything._ Just what good did it do, anyway? So far the two days were filled with talking, smoothies, iced mochas, sundaes at Flo's Dining, and anything else. The perfect part? Any time Wally had to poof for KF duties, _Dick didn't question a thing_! So when the kid would had to excuse himself Friday afternoon for stuff with Bruce Wayne, Wally was _absolutely accepting_ and decided not to ask.

'Sides, they could hang out later.

"Hey Beautiful," Wally sighed happily as he collapsed on the couch of Mount Justice, dreamy look on his face. A silly grin rested comfortably against his lips and he ignored the odd looks shared by both Supey and Aqualad as they continued their pool match.

"Wally!" Without another word M'gann squealed and tackled him with a hug before gasping. "Is your arm alright? I didn't do anything to it, did I?"

"It's fine." The speedster hummed with warm delight, which immediately earned a look of surprise. "What? Something in my teeth? C'mon guys, is there really a point me flossing when I'm gonna have a nice greasy burger right after that?"

"Well, not that, but I guess that's true." M'gann nodded in agreement and sat cheerfully on the couch. "How was Earth school? Do you actually get to learn about Earth? Those are a lot of signatures—do you really know that many people?"

"Of course I do," Kid insisted. He flashed a lopsided grin, looking over to Supey, who of course only smiled and the leader that was sternly inspecting him from head-to-toe. "To answer your questions, Kaldur, Flash actually _agrees_ with you. So I'm wearing the sling and guarding any body that we find. Which means that I can't be a human cannonball. Maybe pilot the ship."

"I doubt M'gann would trust you of all people to pilot the ship."

Silence.

"Supey, did you just crack your first joke? Kaldur, get a camera, get a camera!" Wally cracked up easily laughing his head off, hands against his stomach while the rest of their little group rolled their eyes.

"It was kind of cute." M'gann smiled shyly, hovering above couch cushions to join both Kaldur and Superboy near the pool table. "But you are right. I don't think it's a good idea to trust Wally with the Bio-Ship."

Wally stopped laughing and jabbed a thumb to his chest. "He_llo_? Super speed? Of course I wouldn't need a Bio-Ship! Though, Beautiful, you and me could fly _any day._"

"_A-And_ he's back." M'gann returned the compliment with a sheepish smile and looked back to Kaldur and Superboy.

"I really wanted the data on the limits of your power," Their leader said gently. He set the cue stick to his right, flashing a curt look of concern followed by a visible frown. "Suppose Batman came by with a mission. While I do not doubt your skills, Kid, aren't you worried that your arm may become a hindrance?"

"Ever see the episode of Tom and Jerry where Jerry rams his cast over Tom's head?" Wally lifted his arm into the air. "No worries. I've got a mean left hook."

"So," Superboy interrupted, brooding blue eyes narrowing calmly to the green ones nearly four feet away from him. "How's your dick?"

To that Wally nearly fell out of the chair while Kaldur's eyes grew so wide that he nearly broke the cue in half. M'gann looked around, oblivious to the male reaction, and thoughtfully put a finger to her noggin. "What's a…dick?"

"Supey! Stop calling him my dick!" Wally regained rationality, struggling to keep laughter down as Kaldur's face grew bright red and M'gann continued to look through all of them with confusion. "Er, I mean. _Technically _he's a dick, but the _Richard-Dick_, not the—bah, just stop calling him a dick!"

Supes lowered his gaze but the apparent fascination was still there. M'gann was relentless. "Is Richard a 'dick'?"

"It is best if you never say that word ever again, M'gann." Immediately Kaldur's eyes narrowed threateningly between the other two boys. Superboy shrugged, Kid Flash bit back snickers.

"Is it as bad as entering other people's minds—?"

"It's bad enough that your adorable innocence shall not be tainted by the likes of my…that word." Wally jumped from the seat, sped to the trio and put a reassuring hand to M'gann's shoulder. "Trust me, Gorgeous."

"So…" M'gann's eyebrows furrowed.

"When we are sure you are ready for that talk, we will give it to you." Kaldur cleared his throat and occupied the other shoulder. He flashed an expectant look to Superboy then to Wally.

"'Till then Supey and I will do as that stupid song says and _zip our padlocks._" Kid patted M'gann's back with much reassurance.

At the mention of the artist, a large grin spread across her face and she floated two feet in the air. "You mean the one by Kes—"

"Padlocks don't have zippers, _moron._"

"Robbie!" Kid zoomed across the room and met the younger teenager followed by both their mentors. "Boy Wonder—long time no see." Before the rest could get a word in, Wally found himself quickly sidestepped by a grouchy Batman. Ooh, that look was a little too much for the KF to handle.

As Robin managed to give him a high-five, all fun was ruined when Flash plucked him from the rest with a cheerful smile. "We have a mission for you."

**xxxxxx**

**Author's Note: **

So, the Kesha reference? The funny thing is, I've got a friend who is actually soft-spoken, super sweet, and absolutely bubbly, but when Kesha's mentioned, she bounces up and down going in her quiet voice, "I love Kesha!" It's funny and really cute. I'm actually a bit annoyed that I've confined them to Mount Justice or school, so I'm glad to be moving them around. Also, one of my reviewers mentioned that although parallel-universes would be interesting, some other readers may not understand what the heck I'm talking about. First off—I wanna keep the personalities vitally from the show for certain reasons. Second—I just really wanna see 13YearOld!Dick meet Damian. Aha.

And third—the review wall? I'm actually pretty used to doing that with another story, and it lets me keep track of anonymous reviews + the people who have PMing disabled (depressing when you can't say thank you for a review. D:) Give it a try the next couple chapters; and if you guys don't like it, I'll just take it down. For the record though: this way you get to hear some of the notes I make and plan whenever writing. :) Last but not least: is there like, _any_ Robinesque Jesse McCartney song out there? xD;;


	5. Supers

**OMG**: Haha. Updates are going to be once a week, but I'm glad you're so enthusiastic. xD **VampirePrinssess **It's gonna be a running joke, I think, until Superboy finally gets to meet Dick. :'D **Kawaiibookworm **A make out scene between Wally and Dick? I've got one of those planned, but not specifically a make-out scene. Certainly though, I do believe you'll enjoy it. **Kuyeng13-The Heart Logos **Like I said, it'll be a recurring joke. xD Superboy meeting Dick…will be so freaking hilarious. C': And I had plans, but at the moment it'll be a while until we see if Wally knows who Robin is or not. Hehe. **LockedKeys **You know what's funny? I have a reviewer on a different story whose name is "LostKey" or something along those lines. Hehe. **Vudupins **Oh, that's realy flattering of you to say. xD;; Thank you so much. Wally is…adorkably clueless, and Dick just wants him to get a clue. C': **sinor **I actually don't like doing blatant romance/humor stories. xD;; I'm not very good at them. **Furudanuki **I kinda just like imagining a scene of Wally there, legs resting on the table at the diner and casually telling the waitress, "Oh, yeah. He's my BF, we do things together _all the time._" Etc, etc when he's really just interested in the food. xD Robin's actually going to have thoughts about the differences in Wally whenever he's with a girl compared to Dick; it'll be sweet. C': **BAM **Oh dear. Just rereading this review actually had made some ideas pop into my head, so thank you very much on that matter. :D The story's going to be going at a casual pace for a while, but I do love it. It's going to have times where it's lighthearted and relaxed, and then angsty and just downright sad. C': I CAN'T WAIT. **Leisurestars **Haha, I think Robin's at the point in his age between the crossroads of childhood and teenhood, where things are beginning to make sense and then screw over. So there's gonna be a lot of analysis on his part when it comes to Wally. C': **autumn **Thank you for LURVING my work. C': **Hannah **Oh dear, he certainly didn't. xD Can't you see him cursing himself for not _detecting_ Wally's crush? C': **Zuzubear **Now, doesn't that sound like an interesting story? :'D **Grim Lullaby **I really, _really_ want Dick to meet Damian. We've got a bratty little ten-year-old that'd laugh at the big Dick and make fun of the little Dick, and both would just go, "NO U." :'D **swirlhearty23 **Yupp. He's gonna have a lot of inner turmoil. Fun, right? C': **stitch-patch **Haha, I tried to make it as Dick/Wally orientated as I could. xD Plus, Superboy's just fun to write. **Loko **I update once a week—and have been trying to find a schedule for it. C: 7000 words may be my minimum for this story, actually. It certainly feels like it. **R a a i n **Haha, the romcom is really going to be fun, because it's honestly just two guys who totally love hanging out with one another. C': **xDrEaMeRx4xEVA **Haha, this is what we find out in _this_ chapter. READ. READ AS IF YOUR LIFE DEPENDED ON IT. D: **LoverOfSilverHairedBishies** For a second I skimmed over your review and thought you said "I was so _ticked._" That was funny, and then I giggled. xD What do you call it if your brain makes a typo? O: **chubere **Well here you goooo. **Grawrgrawrninja **Here's mooooaaarrrr. C': **small J **Between the two sides of Robin, those two are going to bicker a lot. Kid will probably be the same way, honestly. C': **shadowtailmon **You know what would have been a crime? If you didn't review so I didn't get to know you, so Batman can't have your head, because you prevented a felony. Oh yeah, I went there. And don't worry; I do my best writing at night, oddly enough. Hehe. **Movinclouds **Haha, I can't wait to reintroduce Artemis in the story and really get things rocking. It'll be _amazing. _**Ichon**__Damian, I do believe, is the fifth and current Robin in the series who—well, he's a _dick_ without being Dick. Let's put it in that sense. C': And clearly, Robin was just venting in his own way in coming to terms with the fact his best friend is in love with him. Dropping things is not a crime, it's just harmful and dangerous. :B **Magnie Clane **Haha, can't wait to write Wally knowing who Dick really is. :'D **Kanjecture **Haha. Knew I recognized your name, actually. xD You're one of very many who seem to look through all of my stories; I'm really glad and it's flattering to know that I've caught your interest in more ways than one. C': **Row **Couldn't you imagine that? "Grayson, this is what you acted like as a kid? You were horrible, _terrible_, clearly unfit to be Robin!" "You are so seriously not whelmed, are you?" Hehe. **Missjinx **Haha, Wally and Artemis are going to be an interesting chemistry to write. C': Dick serenading Wally to Beautiful Soul would be absolutely amazing, but somehow I imagine Robin can't even sing. xD As for the pace of the story? It's…it's not MMWWJE. The pace and setting is so different, along with the characters. Tsuna is shy, timid, and tries really hard to keep everyone happy where Robin is cheerful, a prankster, and pretty immature. C': Giotto is calm and relaxed—something he does share with Wally, but Wally is most certainly more sarcastic and just as immature as Robin is. xD By the next chapter, I think you'll see how different the pace is. C': And the length…eh, so-so. About the same; maybe shorter. Or longer. xD **lilivanilla **Batman finally appears in the next chapter, actually. C': I can't wait to start writing about that. **Tntfriday13 **rofl. That's definitely one way to put it. xD **Silly **Haha, depends on the slash. That's all I've been writing for a while, but it's most certainly enjoyable. C': **tea7962 **Hmm, elaborate more on complicated feelings? Honestly that's probably something I've lost while writing over the years. My style's a bit odd, but I'll watch out for that. Not to mention, the story's actually written in different POVs. C': Thank you so much, and I agree with you. I try not to get into stories that aren't complete so I don't have to wait for updates. **Nicollete **Haha, thank you! **Just A Girl With a Keyboard **Superboy certainly isn't that far from the truth though, now is he? Haha. Thanks for the review! **Lillythemarshmellowqueen **Yes dear! Thanks for the review!

**Supers. **

"_This is lame!" _

Kaldur jolted, nearly falling off the building had not an irate Superboy grab his arm and hoist him above the meta's place above the ladder. He bid a quiet thank you, secure smile gracing his lips before returning to the reconnaissance mission. Seeing no one else rebuttal Kid Flash's exclamation, he took it upon himself as leader's and overlooked the water tower in direction nearest to the Hall of Justice. _"This is a covert, __**decoy**__ mission. Batman and Flash said—"_

"_That the teleporter-tubes to the big satellite in the sky have been recently touched by an intruder who, did __**not**__ go zipzap into space, but managed to hack the systems. Yada, yada, yada, yada—__**couldn't**__ fine the traces, even when combining the mind of a forensic scientist and the world's greatest detective."_

"_Dude, do you seriously not understand the concept of a 'covert' mission?" _Robin.

"_I would if you hadn't stuck me in the most obvious place ever! This is because I'm crippled now, isn't it?" _

"_You guys are making __**my head hurt**__!"_ Miss Martian squirmed through the telepathic link and immediately the buzz of their comm.-links activated. _"Hello, Megan! Couldn't we just switch to comm.-links? You're getting out of my range, Kaldur." _

"It is probably better that way." With half a sigh of relief, he shut the comm.-link for a brief moment and looked to Superboy, who oh-so resembled a gargoyle perched on a ledge in Gotham. Funny, he smiled softly. Washington D.C. wasn't known for many of those. "How are you holding up?"

Superboy was without a doubt the silent type. As a leader, Kaldur tried hard to understand all his teammates (in lesson when avoiding Wally's blatant denial of all things magical), but he knew for sure that it wasn't by choice the meta was anti-social and shielded himself with an impenetrable barrier that had only one weakness: his father. To state the cliché, Superman was indeed Superboy's _kryptonite_, but with the lack of a father-figure (though Batman supposedly counted) and for the sixteen weeks (which would be _years_, in Superboy's state of mind) of simply thinking prior to his first step into the real world, Superboy was prone to thinking.

Scary, sure it was, for Kaldur to watch his new friend turn his eyes, and see the full resemblance of Superman's daunting form. No one else. Not a mother, just a father. In the past few weeks, Superboy had been learning to smile more, but the ghost in the highlight of his orbs showed no timid cheer.

"You recently visited Metropolis over the week, correct?" Kaldur bowed his head courteously. "My apologies for being away with my king. How did it go?"

"…not well."

"Would you like to talk about it?" He would never admit it to Superboy himself, but his new friend was predictable. Perhaps it was because in the sense of a human child Superboy was only a month old, whelmed by the outside world rather than learning artificial knowledge through a telepathic link.

"How do I do that?" An air of confusion and unintentional condescendence fluttered through Superboy's tone.

Kaldur smiled. "You just talk."

Superboy offered a look, conflicted, before ducking his head, pride consuming the rest of him. "Metropolis is where he lives—where he's _located._ Anytime someone sees this—" He gestured to the '_S_' on his chest—"they automatically think of Superman. You, Kid Flash, and Robin all have mentors—father figures, but you don't have to live in their shadows. I was made _to be_ him, made as a living weapon to serve under Cadmus, and—and I've overcome that, but…"

"But what?" Kaldur's eyes flickered with quiet worry. It was hard, yes, for Superboy to express his feelings, and Kaldur felt guilty for having very little understanding of the relationship between Superman and Super_boy_ but on both ends there was certainly a lot of baggage. _Oh Neptune_, he thought in his ministrations. He just said baggage. Wally was rubbing off on him.

"You all came together because you were tired of being treated like sidekicks in your partnership. You found me as a clone in a _tube. _To begin with Superman and I have never had a partnership. I'm not his sidekick, or his partner—" Superboy halted, eyes darkening into a midnight hue before he looked away. "I'm barely his son. He's the perfect hero, the _Boy Scout_ and I make mistakes. Superman doesn't make mistakes, so why do I?"

"Because you are not him." It was enough to make Kaldur chuckle, unable to lift the feeling of an elder brother consoling a pouty little boy. "Certainly I am not Aquaman, and Robin is far from ever being Batman. You, Superboy, are simply _you._ You are an independent person who others look up to for hope. We saved you because we saw your potential as something more than a servant—do you understand?"

Knowing Superboy it would simply go under his arsenal of lost, bold thoughts, and not be spoken of for a while. Kaldur knew, however, that this meant the conclusion to the other teenager's spoken qualms, and steadily changed the subject, frequency buzzing through the comm.-link.

"—_ed, bored, bored!" _

"_Will you shut up? God, Kid, you wouldn't last __**three seconds**__ as Batman's apprentice." _

"_Don't you play good cop to his bad cop or something? With that whole Dynamic Duo stuff? Bah, if you guys didn't stick me in __**boring**__ place, maybe I'd have a baddie come over!" _

"_The purpose of this mission, Kid Moron, is to __**keep**__ the baddies out—"_

Superboy stood higher in his crouch before looking in the direction of the Hall. "There's a different heat signature from the rest hovering three blocks from Kid's location."

"Very well. Robin, scour the area—"

"_Haa! Bet you wish you didn't back-sass me __**now**__, don't you, Boy Wonder?" _

"_Shut up! Got sign of it, Aqualad. Robin over and out." _

The buzz of the comm.-links dissipated, replaced with the sound of night and its adventurers of the dark. Kaldur looked to Superboy, and sure enough he wasn't the only one who rolled his eyes. M'gann was the next comment.

"_Sometimes I wonder if they have their own little world where only the two of them exist._" A sure sign neither Kid nor Robin had heard M'gann's comment, Aqualad was second to shrug, eyes wary of the streets of Washington D.C.

"Kid and Robin are simply inseparable." Following up his point, Kaldur looked to an apathetic Superboy and frowned. A friendship like Wally and Robin's was rare to come by—to have someone who overlooked so many secrets and respected one's privacy. Years of knowing the pair he'd fallen victim of their many pranks and tedious games, but Wally and Robin were at the point where they…_had one brain._

Then there were the looks they gave without even realizing it. Always was there an extra gleam in Wally's eyes whenever '_Robbie'_ appeared, and Robin's underlying possessiveness could be mistaken as innocent tagging along in his one-liners to Wally's ridiculous obsession with girls. He would distract the redhead, stealing away the attention himself as he so naturally did, and the ignorant speedster simply went along with it.

Kaldur wondered thoughts at a time, if there was something obscured in their shenanigans. Something _intimate. _

"_Robin to Aqualad: Everything's clear." _

Maybe. Aqualad crinkled his nose, fingers lacing around his binoculars to get a better look at his point. To quote Kid Flash and Robin: less thinking, more coverting.

**xxxxx**

"I wasn't kidding when I said you wouldn't last two minutes with the Bat, you know."

"Pshh, what's the worse he could do to me? _Give me Bat-Spankings_?"

Robin rolled his eyes, cape shrouding the rest of him as he balanced over the top of Kid Flash's armchair, mini-computer activated and in the process of hacking the Hall of Justice's security system. He leaped off, gracefully landing on the fur carpeting before beginning a search through his database of superbaddies. "What kind of villain do you think could bypass the Bat's security? I'm the only one who can handle the supercomputer. Other than—" He stopped. Other than Alfred, anyway.

Suddenly out of nowhere the mini-computer _pinged_, and not just any ping. When it came to doing rounds in Gotham or missions assigned by Batman, he would crosswire his phone into the computer gauntlet, _only_ using it for emergencies.

"Are you _texting_? No, _no_! This is _not_ what Batman would do on a mission—he'd have my head for this!"

"Stop mentioning Batman—I've gotten enough of a freaky-bat-scowl from him from the past week!" Wally shivered, but undoubtedly waved his phone in the air. "What's your wife gonna think if you keep mentioning him in bed?"

"What's wrong with you?" It was strange for Robin having to use a stern tone. Quite frankly the redhead always for some weird reason pegged himself as the _sane_ one, but in this case, Kid was acting neither _Kid Flash_-like or even Wally-ish. It was irritating than entertaining to see his best friend being pouty and all out a _brat_. "You're not on your game today. Normally when you complain it doesn't sound so whiny."

Apparently challenging the Boy Wonder in a staring contest (which was pretty ridiculous), Kid's green orbs were glued to Robin's face and demeanor remained the same. Funny, he thought lightly. The past three days he had to endure Wally's googly eyes (the fact Wally actually developed a crush on Dick Grayson was beyond disturbing—it was just _turbing.) _Without his googly eyes or clown-face, Wally looked absolutely expressionless. Which happened like, _never._

"What's the point?" Finally deciding a stalemate, Kid set down his phone and gestured to the blinding yellow cast. "It's only been a week and everyone's been treating me like a baby, Rob. Aqualad gave me the _cushiony_ job of lurking through the Hall because it'd be so obvious that no villain would dare to try. Flash hasn't called me out of class for any duties all week, and they sent a _thirteen-year-old boy_ to my rescue when so far, there are _no signs_ of a meta or baddie in sight."

"I resent being called a simple thirteen-year-old boy."

"Yeah, well, sometimes I _forget_ that you're a thirteen-year-old boy." Kid Flash shrugged, the left edge of his lip casually lifting in the air as he saluted with his good hand. "I'm serious, dude. Hanging around anyone your age is like, _social suicide_ for anyone my age. But it's 'cause you're…you're _you_ that all of this works out."

Robin shrugged nonchalantly. Age wasn't a matter he considered when meeting other superheroes. Batman was famous enough as the World's Greatest Detective, and he'd gained his own celebrity status for being the Boy Wonder and the other half of the Dynamic Duo. Speedy—_Red Arrow_ and Aqualad were big brother figures (both in their own little way), Megan was a bubbly big-little sister, Supey was a big-little brother and Wally was just—well…Wally. He liked to think of Wally as just his best friend.

"Don't you have some creepy crush on Dick Grayson?" Aw, cripes. Instinctively through the dark Robin prowled closer to the machinery and computer systems, ignoring the fact his ears were as red as his costume.

"WhosaysI'vegotacreepycrush?" Whoa, way to _totally_ keep his cool.

Robin looked through the data carefully, casually beginning a hack over the sys—well poop. So because he managed to hack the system once, Batman found it necessary to change all of the passwords _again_? Biting back a mischievous snicker, he retaliated and began messing with the keyboard. Oh, and still have a conversation with his best friend, of course. "Uh, you did? Remember, _Kid Forgetful_; the _diner_?"

"There was a diner?"

"Yup."

"Hmm, all I remember was this beautilicious babe and mustard all over the table. Oh—and you kicked me. _A lot._" Hehe. The younger protégé could feel Wally's glare burning into his scalp. "But I guess…I guess Dick's sort of on the same level as you, honestly."

Really now? Ooh, _files on the JL._ That sounded interesting. "Do tell."

"I can't figure out which way he swings."

Typo. _Typo, typo, typo, typo._ Okay. Backspace, Ctrl + Alt + Delete. Now: "_What_?"

"Manners we have, Batboy?" Wally was definitely grinning cheek-to-cheek, but there was that subtle change of tone that caused Dick to tingle at the tip of Robin's gloved fingers. He reached and pulled a gauntlet off—_though really, there was no reason to_—and continued typing. Huh. There went another typo. "I know it's not my business to pry, and—and he's only _thirteen_, but heck—I had my first hickey at _twelve-and-three-quarters_."

"He's a late bloomer!" Of course Robin's voice chose that very moment to crack. "…did you just say heck?"

"So I have some good ol' Kansas pride in me—now, is that really a bad thing?" A gust of wind picked up and a moment after KF was at the younger teenager's side, casually readjusting the strap of his sling. "Just hear me out, Rob: Dick has a lot of _girl _friends, and a lot of _guy _friends. But it's weird. So far every time it's the two of us it's seriously only been _the two of us._"

"Really," Robin mumbled sarcastically. He lowered his head to repeat his point, then continued surfing through files. This was some interesting knowledge here. And, if it just so happened interesting knowledge blocked out all the stupid coming from Kid's mouth, then so be it.

"He gives me his full attention whenever we're together and when he's with these other people it's like his head's in the clouds. Maybe he's still too innocent—" His innocence was lost when Flash and Batman introduced them to one another. "—but it's like—like we're in our own little world. No one else exists—not even the team."

"You've known him for a _week._" Though, was that really how he'd been acting? Robin went through every possible situation he'd recently found himself in and admittedly tried hard to keep Dick and Robin two different personas. Wally managed to distract him from that little tirade, however, and it became more like having downtime from Robin and Kid Flash rather than being secretive and mysterious.

"You don't have to know someone long to know when they're completely awesome." Kid flashed a crooked grin and wiggled his eyebrows. "C'mon, I've been doing this stuff for two years, and already Red Arrow and you are my best buddies. Kaldur, too, but a lot of friends I can only count with _one hand_ all the epic stuff I've done with them."

"Yuh-huh, yup, epic. Yeah." Robin had tuned out after Control-Alt-Delete. His cheeks no longer burned pink with the original thought fresh on mind, but he knew if he were to hear anymore of Wally's personal thoughts his head was going to explode from embarrassment. As Dick he casually kept his distance, _didn't he_? Then again when it came to Wally, personal space was always just a one-sided issue. Not only that, but KF had a simple warmth that made him—the _real_ Dick Grayson—comfortable and tingly. "Dude! I just _totally_ got the specs on all the league abilities. And—wow. Someone seriously made a _Which Leaguer Are You_ quiz."

"Huh. So _that's_ what Batman does on his days off." Kid shrugged and a distasteful sigh escaped his lips as he settled a hand on his hip. "I'm starved. Wait, don't we have a kitchen?"

"You're stuck on this _cushiony job_ thing, aren't you?"

"You want me _moping_ and complaining about food or looking through the kitchen for some pizza?"

"Moping. Complaining. Yuh-huh, sure."

"I'm going to take that as a yes."

"Yes. Yup, sure." You see, Kid had this uninteresting tendency to run his mouth without actually saying anything interesting. Robin quickly zipped through the rest of his files, ignoring the mild pickup of the wind when Wally left the room. A frown overtook his lips as he did one last check on the security systems and cursed himself for not being on his game, just like Wally. He could imagine Bruce now, lecturing down his throat the unpreparedness and the irresponsibility taken as he deemed the mask and cape. If it had been the battlefield—against Penguin or Joker or Clayface—and his phone _pinged_, then no doubt he'd be dead meat.

Wally really _did_ manage to throw him from the air of Gotham. Arrow was lighthearted to his protégé's eventual sternness, Aquaman acted like freaking-Santa Clause to Aqualad's passive nature, and he'd never actually seen Miss Martian and Manhunter together on the battlefield. He'd seen Superman circle Gotham and Metropolis enough times to conclude: Father and Son had the same pigheadedness, but Superboy was more of the Charlotte's-Webheadedness than some part of anatomy of the common stubborn mule.

Then by the great gods of Aster by all that was holy of his Thesaurictionary App, Wally was to dry sarcasm as Flash to corny jokes. On occasion Wally ragged on his poor uncle for being so, _uncle-y_, but if there were ever a mini-Flash, KF would be it.

Finally sure Wally found the refrigerator, Robin hesitantly pulled away from the super computer, anxiety tugging at his chest as he finally got to do what he _really_ wanted to do. Batman was nowhere in sight, and it would take at least thirty more seconds before Kid was done eating his food.

Soo. What did Wally text Dick then? Robin did one last survey of the area, then looked to the security system where, sure enough among other things the lightning bolt for Kid Carnivore was in the kitchen. He crossed the needed wires with his phone and—

_Hi :) _

Hi. _Hi._ Robin stared at the message blinking sure enough under the giant name, WALLY WEST, before it occurred to him that this was only one of at least fifteen—all addressed to _Dick Grayson's number._ But it wasn't the fact that he'd gotten a text from Wally's phone, he'd actually—actually…

He actually _hacked _Wally's phone. Aw, stupid ingenious ability with technology in techno-gauntlet. And sure enough, it was curiosity that killed the Batkid. Robin skid through the many messages, unable to hide his surprise. They were all greetings to him, _of course_, but why hadn't Wally actually sent any of them?

_I liked hanging out with u 2day. _

_Dude, ur ttly awsum. _

_Hope 2 see u soon. :) _

Ugh, would it _kill_ him to text in full words? Robin cringed instinctively before exiting out of Wally's phone. Was he really serious about this crush on Dick? Robin's ears tingled pink at the thought. There wasn't actually a _reason_ to like him, was there? He crinkled his nose, readily batting the thoughts away.

But he couldn't.

Wally never got serious on his crushes because that was truly all they were: _stupid crushes_. From the beginning he knew the speedster was bi (that had been one month of an unconscious _Batcrush_ he really didn't want to relive), but he doubted fishing for single guys who _wouldn't_ beat the crap out of the poor speedster (once they figured out that bulge in the dude's pants was _not_ a wiimote) came easy. Ugh, and there went the lack of upcast again.

Pursuing a romantic advancement with his best friend currently was _not_ on the agenda, so Robin needed an outlet. Like, fast. Flash fast.

He quickly made a text back—_Busy. We can talk later. PS: Chatspeak is lame. B)_—as the door opened, soft footsteps entering the room. Robin cocked his head, quick to change back to security, and met eyes with a tepid Kid Flash. "You find the refrigerator?"

Simple nod. "Ate all I could."

Huh. Robin looked through security one last time, taking note of all the inhabitants with a finger tucked between that of his utility belt and material of his uniform. "I take it you don't have room for an Oreo?"

"I'll pass, dude." Far beyond what Kid normally did, the speedster walked over to the ID system and began poking and prodding.

"You certainly took long enough eating."

"Only got one arm."

"So we're back to moping?"

"You tend to mope whenever you gotta stare at this blinding cast for the next three months."

"Three months, yup, sure. So, we gonna continue with one of us playing stupid—" Not a second too soon Robin swiped a batarang and threw it directly at his faux-best friend. He leaped into the air, nesting precariously on the super computer with another batarang in hand as Kid _Fake_ dodged with an unnatural agility. "Or you gonna tell me who you are? By the way, I'm _totally_ the one who's _just_ playing."

"Dude!" Kid Flash scowled. "Is this what you do? I'm your best friend!"

"_Puh-lease, _like KF would give up the chance to an oreo. He just found out you could make _pie_ from it!" His signature laugh bellowed from the back of his throat, bursting from snickers and giggles as it looked like the copycat meta wasn't giving up his or her guise.

Realizing a staring contest with _yours truly_ was pointless (seriously, who would ever win a staring contest against someone in the Bat Family?) whatstheirface smirked and lunged toward the teenager. "You're right."

Robin leaped from machinery onto carpeting, fleeting to the left as the Kidposter lunged toward him. He threw a kick, quickly blocked by a forearm, and ducked a head butt. "You've certainly go some skills, now don't you—"

"_Hn_."

He was snatched by the leg, spun like a ball on a string before being thrown into a wall. In an instant, Robin found himself slamming back-first with the wind splitting into his ear. "Oof!"

"I," the accent and easygoing vibrato of Wally's voice slowly began to disappear, replaced by curls and swivels, "expected a member of the _Justice League_, not some _petty leetle boy."_

"Yeah? This _'petty __**leetle **__boy' _wasn't so stupid to say no to an _oreo._" The teenager quipped himself with a smirk, grappling gun, and another batarang as an arm—long and gangly—stretched and torpedoed his direction. He flung into the air, getting a better look at his opponent as adrenaline whirled.

Body suit. Purple bodysuit, long flowing black hair, and legs Kid would probably be too busy staring at to notice the actual villainess. Robin knew after checking the security cameras the moment Kidposter entered that the _real _Wally was still occupying himself with comfort food somewhere in the kitchen. The likelihood Wally could finish food—_provided by the Wayne fortune_—was close to an _epic zero. _The woman though he hadn't the slightest idea who she was.

"Robin to Aqualad: found our perp. Robin to Kid Flash: _Get your butt back over here._"

A prowling smirk twisted thin lips, and again her hand elongated. Robin gaped, thinking of all the possible villains he _knew_ Bruce had faced even in the years without a sidekick—and couldn't think of anyone. Who stretched like that? Who could elongate their body, and—and change their guise? "Should I be flattered that this _leetle_ _boy_ feels I need backup to be called upon?"

"You know, for a French lady, you're kind of ugly." Robin skid against carpeting and flung the next batarang. On contact it froze against the woman's stretched arm, and he took the momentum to swerve and charge at her with a kick.

"Rude leetle boys are not appreciated!" She hissed, pupils thinning like a feline's. The ice backfired, quickly swung toward Robin and—

"Oof!" —He found himself on the ground, head buzzing with pain. _Where was KF?_ Whirling around, the woman was back against the ID system with some device in her hand—"Um, lady, I'm _pre-etty sure_ you're not allowed to do that."

Robin charged, weapon in hand, and jumped over a punch. She scowled, and the same arm he dodged wrapped around him like a rope. _Damn it._ Wally! _Where was he_?

"Resistance is futile."

The Boy Wonder had a newfound hate for the French. Well, at least the fries were okay. He looked to his captor, scowl on his face as thirty different escape plans formulated in his mind and suddenly—suddenly it just clicked. The cheekbone structure, the gritty eyes, and an old boring French film his mother once made him watch with that one actress in it. He squinted, getting a better look at the actress-lookalike. "Laura De Mille?"

"Laura De Mille?" She barely gave him a look, instead scanning the ID System, and a fervent smirk played her lips. "I, sweet petty leetle boy, am _Madame Rouge."_

**xxxxx**

Wally had only meant to be in the kitchen for a few minutes. He figured raiding food would be easy since it was like, _midnight, _and not surprisingly whatever gourmet chef the league hired for fancy-schmancy downtime purposes (seriously, where did the league get all the money for this?) was not there. The kitchen, like the rest of the big macho building was currently "closed," with no lights on, which meant Robbie could crawl around to his heart's content in the dark.

But seriously, this fridge wouldn't open when Wally clearly wanted comfort food. _Badly. _

Kid Flash took the temporary separation from his best friend to clear his head despite the pouty thoughts running through his head. Just, _why_ didn't anyone believe him when he said he had a mean left hook? If a _mouse_ could sucker punch a giant tomcat, then couldn't _he_? Simple!

Then, when Kaldur pressed for him to stay at the Hall, as far away from Miss _Magnificent _(mm, she never withered in beauty in _his_ eyes), Supey, and the leader himself (because, come on! What idiot villain would be so stupid to attack the _Hall_ _of Justice?_), Uncle Barry just _had_ to agree. Pshh, he was only going to be with the cast for five more weeks! _Five!_ And so what if he couldn't propel himself? What happened to the whole, _physical healing_ and what not? So what if he could get his spine rearranged and handed back to him, a bent ankle, or his head snap off? It was all part of the physical therapy!

"Come…on!" Kid groaned through his frustrations, audibly kicking the high-tech refrigerator door. It was a stupid _Wayne Tech_ product with some high-tech security that _wouldn't let him get food_!

Vibrating a hand through the door seemed like a good idea, but Batman would kill him for making a wreck just so he could make a sandwich. Especially considering the big techno-computerized mumbo-jumbo of the current metallic fridge in front of him, that he _doubted_ Uncle Barry would be able to pay.

So instead, Kid decided to brood. He wasn't feeling up to a bloody nose, and an explosion to a locked fridge wouldn't end well. He sighed, mounting on the kitchen counter and whipping out his phone for the umpteenth time to see if Dick texted. _Nada. _

He knew it was against code to have his phone out during hero mode. Actually, it sort of wasn't, but also kind of an obvious _duh._ Robin was right. Another petulant sigh escaped the speedster's lips and he smiled goofily, eyes landing on the perfectly written signature of Dick Grayson.

Rob just knew him way too well. He knew how to get a rise out of the speedster, and also knew what made him happy. How'd he do it?

This time his phone vibrated, and Kid sat up dangerously quick, digging for the phone he kept tucked between the sling and his cast. _Please say Dick wrote him back please say Dick wrote him back. _

**Dick Grayson**: _Busy. We can talk later. PS: Chatspeak is lame B)_

"Shouldn't you be guarding the ID System?" That was a female voice. He turned around in confusion.

"Uncle Hal! And friend." Sure enough, GL stood by the door in his daunting uniform. He took note, sighing blissfully to his so-called 'uncle,' then—then took a look at who was next to him. He blinked. It was a _hot_ friend.

The first thing he noticed wasn't her blue eyes. Or her wavy blond hair. Which left her chest wide open, where stricken was the one and only '_S_' symbol many were unworthy to dawn. Wally was sure he was doing more than staring—from the daunting red cape, knee-high red boots, _sexy mini-skirt_, back to that '_S._' The same Supey wore.

"The refrigerator isn't the security system," she teased good-naturedly. _So_ not Uncle Hal's cardboard (aw, but loveable) personality. Or Superman's strong authority. Not even Supey's naivety to the world. Before Wally knew it, the mysterious Super_girl_ (or was that Superwoman?) hovered into the air much like the gorgeous M'gann, landing precisely next to Kid in a casual manner before studying the fridge herself. "Hungry?"

"Who…_are_ you?"

This girl obviously wasn't a girl-clone of the real Superman. She scoffed—playfully—and put her hands on her hips. Funny—two weeks ago Wally'd find himself just ogling that belly button. Now, however, he was wondering what was cuter—Dick's squeaky voice or Dick's belly. "Give it a guess, spin the right answer, and I'll heat-splice the fridge for you."

"Super…"

"Yup, come on—_you can do it._"

"Super…_girl_? You're Supergirl? No way, there's a _Supergirl?_" He backed away, disbelief fluttering across his features. But—_seriously?_ What happened to the whole, Man of Steel, _Last Son of Krypton_ and whatever? Next they were gonna tell him the Super Family had a _dog._

"_Ding-ding-ding._ Someone got it right." Oh, _wo-ow_, she was pretty. Supergirl flashed a triumphant look, and for a moment pressed her hand to the door. The refrigerator glowed, and _woosh_, there came all the food. Then again…

"I thought you said you were gonna use your heat vision!" Oh well. _Food_! Wally jumped off the counter and stuck his head in each shelf, stomach mewling with happiness.

Green Lantern apparently was not fazed in the least."Kara, we have to get going."

"Aw, but _Uncle Hal_!" The speedster swallowed a large piece of chicken, pouting, and eyed his most favorite uncle in the world. Green Lantern looked amused, but overall strict. Then: "Wait—" Wally turned his head, looking back to the Supergirl with surprise passing through his features. "You're part of it? Part of the Justice League?"

"Proud member for about a year now." She nodded curtly, bright blue eyes flickering with electricity as she flew to Hal's side. Supergirl giggled, eyes glued to the speedster with much charm. "It was nice meeting you."

"Oh, believe me. Pleasure was mine." His cheeks stained pink, three times more elated than when he first entered. Not only was she _gorgeous_, but she was really nice. It was a wonder how someone as pretty as her could come from the same planet as Superman. Immediately Kid snapped out of his ministrations when another thought entered his head. "Wait—what about Superboy?"

The casual, authoritative look Uncle Hal usually deemed wrinkled slightly, the edge of his eyebrow reaching his widow's peak, and Supergirl tilted her head with confusion.

"Superboy—?"

_**BOOM.**_

"_ROBIN (_break_)ASH: JUST (_break_) THE HECK (_break_)E YOU?" _

"Ooh. That would be my cue." Why wasn't communications working? Kid Flash grabbed the last of food before whirling down the right hall and placing the comm.-link back in his ear. "Kid to Robin: Sorry, got a little held up. Uh, what seems to be the problem?"

Silence.

"Robin?" Okay, bad sign.

"Whoever he's fighting probably cut off the signal to your comm.-links before they came." Eep! Supergirl flew by his side, flying at the same pace as he ran, and frowned slightly. "Knew I heard something suspicious when I got here."

"You can…go my speed?" Wally stared at her incredulously. 'Course, she was no _Dick_, but anyone other than Uncle Jay or Uncle Barry matching his speed or vice versa was simply _unheard_ of.

"'_Go your speed_?'" Her tone shifted, turning into something similar to Artemis's condescending tone. This, however was different. Was that…_flirting_? "_Sweetie_, I can go faster."

He doubted it. _Flash_ing a grin, Kid upped his pace and the mini-race began to get back to the library. The thought of finding someone _other _than a Flash who could catch up with him was—was _extraordinary._ Excitement tickled Wally's thoughts as their incredibly-short race (well, _come on, _they did call it the _Hall_ of Justice) made him come to a stop right before the debris and crumbling shelves of the library. Robin hovered on his hands and knees, groaning in obvious pain, and a wall had been knocked over.

"Dude!" Kid gaped, immediately grabbing his best friend by the arm and strapping him to his shoulder. "I was only gone for—"

"Way too long!" Normally Robin's psychotic, half-crazy rant voice was a little endearing. This time, it kinda wasn't as one of the more fashioned batarangs was tangled between the younger teenager's fingers and he flung it across the hall toward the—toward the _really-pretty-but-that-was-beside-the-point_ lady dialing something on the ID system. "She's trying to get to the zeta tubes!"

"Why didn't you call me _earlier—"_

"I_ DID._"

Er, right. Angry Robins made for painful pecking. Wally twisted his footing, taking half a second to dust off the other teenager, then charged forward, speed picking up with air whistling in his ear. There was something in her hand—a small doohickey he couldn't quite think the name of (chemistry and physics? Totally easy to comprehend. One of Robin and Wayne Industry's _Tech_ inventions…not so much.) So he did what he did best: swipe it.

He totally grabbed the device before she had the chance to complete what she was doing. Getting into _hero mode_, the entity of everything the Flash stood for filled his body, the rush like every time Wally ditched civvies in favor of Kid Flash filling his veins, and bristled with excitement. He slid across the ground, stopping in a crouching position and waved it in the air. _Classic trick _everyone_ fell for._ Like any other villain, ten perceptive, _expecting_ minutes showed during the few seconds where the Mega-Hot lady hadn't the slightest idea what just happened.

Then she turned around. KF grinned. "Sometime tells me this is just a _wee_ bit important."

She shrieked. "_Give. That. Back._"

Robin appeared by his side, visibly still half-peeved, but a grin was there. "Good going."

Kid held back a sigh of relief, watching his best friend back on his feet. The visible harm done to the younger teenager appeared to be minimum—typical bruises, faint bumps from punches and another cape that was stretched out farther than usual. "So uh, what's the deets on Miss Hottie?"

The younger teen was probably rolling his eyes under optic lenses. "Keep it in your pants—trust me on this one."

As soon as Robin skyrocketed into the air, Kid Flash charged, aiming for a punch through the woman's jaw. She did him differently, and the speedster's eyes widened as her hand stretched until he became the bug to a giant _fly swatter. _"No good, no good, _no good_—"

"Duck!" Robin threw three batarangs in the direction of the woman, and the redhead did as he told, tumbling under behind the small gap as the sharp end of the projectile embedded itself in skin. Madame Hottie hissed with pain, and only seconds later exploded. Kid rolled away, passing through turbulence, and wildly looked around.

Pain shot through his arm and he winced, a groan escaping his lips. _Turbulence_ probably wasn't the best thing for his arm, and his stature faltered once Robin landed by his side. "Did you get her?"

"Oh, I _gotted_ her." Robin cracked a laugh. They high-fived.

"Dude, what is it with you and making up words?"

"They're _fun._" Suddenly the younger teenager's protest changed into suspicion, and Kid shrank under the gaze, arm pulsing with oblique pain. Robin's expression shifted into concern, and he arched an eyebrow. "Are you alright?"

"Er. Y-Yeah, just gotta…watch how I vibrate my molecules." He lied. Wally didn't mean to, but if there was any other reason for Kaldur or Uncle Barry to take him off the team for the next five weeks, he would _die._

Dust dissipated by a light whirlwind, revealing the young woman on the ground with a permanent scowl spread across her lips and body trapped under ropes. Really, something like this just seemed _way_ too easy. Kid Flash ignored the buzzing that was causing every one of his molecules _pain_, and sped around her.

"So you got the job done before I even got here." _Supergirl._ "I'm impressed."

For a moment, Wally forgot all about the dangerously gorgeous chick on the ground. Instead he quickly raised his head, senses heightening as, behind one Boy Wonder, Supergirl began her descent to the ground with her long, _gorgeous_ legs and slender hands on her hips. She _couldn't_ have been more than what, eighteen? _Sixteen_? Granted he'd heard stories all his life about the legendary Superman, and that man just _never aged._

Then there was that belly button again. Hm, what did Dick's look like?

Fortunately before anything stupid could escape his lips as he ogled the woman in front of him, Robin intervened, sidestepping the pair to give her an official greeting. "I take it there's a Super…_girl_?"

"You take right." Bright blue eyes—_though not as sparkling as Dick Grayson's—_gleamed with amusement and suddenly she looked to the ground. "Oh, and nice job."

"You could have—oh, I dunno. _Lent a hand?_" A pinch of playfulness invoked Wally's tone and he zipped to her side, Robin's presence suddenly disappearing for the time being. He had to admit—so far there was a certain _flair _in the other meta he most certainly found himself attached to. She reminded him faintly of Artemis herself, if, you know, 'Missy wasn't such a know-it-all bitch. "Faster than the speed of light?"

"Look who's talking." Supergirl smirked teasingly, hand on her hip. "I _let_ you win this time."

"Let me—? _Unheard of._ I, as the representative to _he—who is currently AWOL with his wife—_could beat your butt into the moon!"

"Moon? They don't call me the _Girl of Steel_ for nothing, dear." She flexed, showing more of those sexy curves and—wouldn't you know it, even her _muscles_ had muscles. Wally certainly liked a girl who could handle herself. If only it wasn't for the fact he was totally in love with a certain thirteen-year-old boy with the most stunning eyes he'd ever seen. Not only that, but Dick unknowingly had the poor speedster on an incredibly short leash.

Green Lantern had slowly entered the room, much like his feminine companion, but there appeared a visible difference between him and the young-but-apparently-in-the-Justice-League-anyway superheroine, and he looked at the boys like a mentor to his students. Last Kid heard Uncle Hal was head honcho at Green Lantern Corps and under partnership with Uncle John.

Plus Supergirl and he were still kind of flirting. Well…could you call it flirting? Looking into those bright blue orbs giddily made Wally terribly miss Dick (and he made mental note to either whine to the kid about chatspeak, or never do it again), but…yeah. The cat-like glint in eyes, dropping his voice maybe an octave or two—sure, _sure_, they were just talking about meta stuff, but—

"You and I should race some time." Green eyes narrowed, cunning with a twisted grin. They were totally flirting. He hadn't had this much fun since Robin let him race the R-cycle.

"Yes," Supergirl smiled mischievously, blue eyes sparkling. "We should."

"_You mind keeping it in your pants?"_ Ooh—right, yeah. Robin. Before Wally had the chance to re-acknowledge his best friend, said companion pushed between him and—and certainly wasn't brimming with any delight. Instead a scowl so fitting of the Batman was on Robbie's face, followed by a sickeningly natural irritation that complimented Robin's voice whenever he was off his rocker. "We're trying to _debrief, _if you haven't noticed."

This wasn't Wally's Robin. For a moment Kid looked down, remembering his best friend—unlike the _super_model—was still short and coming into his age. He smiled abashedly, eying the totally hot alien babe right next to him, but not even the speedster's own stupidity got a quip from the younger teen. Instead, Robin fiddled with his comm.-link.

"Robin to Aqualad. We caught the perp—can you hear me?"

Nothing. Kid frowned, then he, too, reached for his comm.-link. "Yo! Supey, Aqualad. Can you hear us?"

Not a moment too soon, the large screen that managed to go unscathed during the skirmish lit up. Both Batman and Superman appeared, neither looking amused. On instinct, Kid flinched and moved closer to Robin, who in return stood taller in his stance. Green Lantern took a step forward.

"Communication doesn't seem to be working on this end." Uncle Hal gestured to the pair. While he did so, Kid snuck a glance to Supergirl.

Which earned a strike from Robin, the Boy Abuser.

"Ow! _Dude_!" Kid Flash hissed quietly, looking to the obviously-frowning teenager, and looked back to Supergirl with a goofy grin.

"We caught the perpetrator, Batman." Without even batting an eyelash (though not like you could see said eyes behind the mask anyway), Robin took a step forward, returning to the natural habit of shrouding himself with his cape. The holographic screen popped up on the mini-computer of his gauntlet. "Got into a bit of a mess, but it's a woman named Madame Rouge who's been breaking and entering. She had this—" He swiped the device looped around Kid Flash's belt and held it up. "—and was using it on the ID Security System. That's probably what jammed the mainframe."

"Actually—" Huh. Why was it the moment Supergirl started speaking that guise of professionalism across Robin's face dissipated into mild exasperation? Said _Girl of Steel_ shook her head and pressed a button on the keyboard. "The ID System is fine, and I've dealt with Madame Rouge before. But…someone seems to have hacked the mainframe and screw up Communications. Multiple times. And—this coding is wrong."

Literally right next to him Wally could feel his best friend freezing up. Kid Flash looked to Robin from the corner of his eye, and shockingly enough the kid's face remained locked down and the same. His body language was tense but—no reaction. Kid had…_never_ seen Robin not visibly react to his work. His complexion, however, had completely blanched, and Batman himself was looking to his ward with a calculative expression. Boy Wonder's ears were flushed a dark and bloody red.

Ironically despite all they'd been through with Supey, Supes Sr.—being the lighthearted of the pair—was the one to sympathetically pass a look to the youngest teenager. "You may have been trying to help, son, but you're _lucky._ Green Lantern, Supergirl: from your end do you think you can reconfigure the system?"

"You got it Clark—er." Supergirl shut her mouth, but Kid wasn't paying attention.

His entire focus went to his best friend, who was currently incapacitated by his own thoughts. So many different emotions conveyed across the younger teen's face that normally weren't there: anger, irritation, _some-freaking-hatred for Supergirl_, disappointment, and slight stun for making a horrid mistake. Robin _miscalculated_; a rarity Kid thought he'd never live long enough to witness. He was just tech-savvy!

Maybe it was the fact Rob had more experience in the crime-fighting department that made Wally himself uncomfortable when his best friend wasn't feeling well. Or maybe he just didn't like anyone else picking on his bro unless it was, well, _him._ Or…or…well, the point was Robin without that dorky laugh and awkward invasion of personal space was a big fat _no-no._

So Kid did what he was best at. He blabbed. "Oh, like you're one to talk?"

Bad idea. Such a freaking bad idea that he was going to regret it later, but seeing Robbie without a smile made his brain go _haywire,_ and hyper-accelerated thinking didn't mean he wasn't impulsive in the slightest. Superman, GL, and Batman sported looks of shock and disbelief because he'd obviously crossed the line, but Wally didn't care.

"Why are you calling _Rob_ son? What, you think so highly of yourself that you can put Supey on a shelf as a play thing to use whenever you want? Like, _never_?" Robin's hand yanked at Kid Flash's good arm with such speed, sending an odd and uncomfortable pulse up his skin, but he pushed off the pain.

Chilling blue eyes as daunting as the _Boy Scout_ uniform flickered with an intensity that, yup, Superboy yes-indeedy had. "Kid Flash. I would watch my place if I were you."

"Well—well—" Alright, even if Superman was the day to Batman's night, they totally got together all the time just perfecting intimidating glares. Kid winced again, a buzz from his body fluttering through his mind. "You acknowledge your _daughter,_ but not your _son_?"

Green Lantern shook his head, quickly blocking the camera from view. "Kid—stand down. This isn't a fight you want to get in."

Then Supergirl gave him a look, and like most people probably thought the redhead was absolutely crazy. "He's not my—"

"Do you know," a thick French accent flitted through their ears, "what the highlights of stretching _every part of your body _is?" _BAM. _

A hiss of pain escaped Kid's throat as he slammed into a wall from the long hand that slapped him off his feet. He shook his head, pushing the throbbing pain from his mind and looked wildly about. The automatic ropes that bound Madame Rouge littered the ground and she herself stood in battle stance, hands elongated and smirk across her face. "Lady, you would be _so much hotter_ if you weren't into the whole burgling thing!"

"Is that all you think about?" Robin laughed—but it was so _dry._ The young teen leaped into the air, formulating an acrobatic feat none could mimic. "_Women_?"

What was up with Rob today? He was perfectly fine before Supergirl and Uncle Hal came into the picture! That thought pushed aside, Kid pulled his signature goggles over his eyes and gestured to the Frenchwoman carefully. "You guys fix communication! I'll—" His chest hurt. H-He…f-felt kind of…funny.

"KF!" Rob's voice.

Kid's entire body burned with pain. Everything burning, every little molecule and atom exploding as a hysteria-induced pain clawed his chest. He…he couldn't even see his own two _feet._ The world spun, filled with explosives, a husky smell of sulfur and some blinding green light. Wally, on the other hand, felt like something was drilling through his head.

"This has just become a league matter—" Wally hadn't the slightest idea known who that was. "—Kara! Take them to the Watchtower and alert the Flash—_now_!"

**xxxxxx**

**Author's Note: **

I should really stop beating Wally up in this story; but he works wonders. xD;; The next chapter we get to see a lot more and—Robin…_no…_he couldn't _possibly be…_ Something of course, that will be explained later. Then there's Supergirl—seeing as I've already raped the show I really am too boggled to think of logistics, and she's there for two particular reasons: to be one of the _many girls_ Robin puts on his hate list for certain reasons, and for some side stories. The story is focus _a lot_ on the relationship between Robin/Dick and Wally, but also some side stories.

Now, uh. I didn't really think this story would pick up so many readers, so thank you so much for hitting the 100-review mark for me! :) You're all so kind!


	6. Watchtower

**Just A Girl With Keyboard **Haha, guess you'll have to wait and see, eh? C': **lilnarusasu **Hehe! Nice to see you too! C': Kaldur says that Wally and Robin basically share one brain, so I actually really do love writing about how close they are. C': **VampirePrinssess **Supergirl will show up once in a while, but I won't promise she's recurring. xD; Couple arcs that we go through _yes_, she will be in. Other than that, not really. **Loner **Haha, thank you! C: **Axel **Who says there's an 'if'? c': _When_ Wally finds out who Dick really is…I will be very…_thankful. _C': **r a a i n **Why, yes he is. :D We get to see a little bit of why in this chapter. **Vudupins **Chatspeak is a pain. xD I hate reading and cringe whenever I write it. Wally is just…very easy to abuse. Dick gets his abuse a little later on in the story. C': **Rowena Prince **You know, you actually share the same name as a different friend of mine. C': And I'm glad you're a Wally fan—so am I! :D **OrangeSpiral **It's actually foreshadowed halfway through the chapter when he makes all those typos, hehe. C'; **Furudanuki **I think Wally makes fun of Robin in a kajillion different ways because of the _Bat_mobile, the _Bat_cave, the _Bat_arang, etc. xD And thank you; we've got a long way to go! **LockedKeys **Considering Robin turns all cute and scatterbrained whenever Wally ever is? …not likely. xD **pamellka **Haha, you're reading this too? xD And I'm already taking a break from one story for updating constantly; I think I need this one intact. C': **leisurestars **You see, when I first read this review I thought you had a good point that I'd never seen before. C': So thank you for pointing it out. **Chibi-Roy-Chan **Haha, Robbie is already all over the place. He's got way too much to worry about thanks to Wally. xD **Lillythemarshmellowqueen **Haha; I've got schedule conflicts with all of my stories. xD; At least I'm not updating once a month, you know? **Raikimluva22 **Haha, thank you very much! And don't worry; he gets pie in this chapter. :D **Ichon **It'll be fun to write, honestly. xD If Damian and Dick _do_ meet, but I'll wait a while and see who all wants it. **BubbleFairy03 **Actually, Robin got Bat-spankings in the comic? I had no idea; xD It just seemed appropriate. And yes, that _is_ a reference to Krypto. :D;; They are so ironic and unsuspecting; just wait for the next chapter, rofl. Supergirl is…I think she gets some brownie points for this chapter. C': **HinaLuvLuvChan **Haha; I actually really do love Supergirl, so I hope she doesn't end up getting a lot of hate. xD **Fuutaba **It's actually stated on a lot of sites that KF is really clumsy and can't stop abruptly like his uncle since he's still learning about his powers, rofl. xD I love touching on that. And yeah, the suspense of an update is awesome. …just remember that I actually update once a week; if possible. Ehe. **F **Haha, I'll keep that in mind. C': **Kazu0 **Haha, depends on which title you mean. The chapter title or the story title? C': And Supergirl and Superboy's meeting…it's fun. I can't wait. C': **Magnie Clane **Thank you! It makes it a lot easier with a lot of anonymous readers here and there. C': **Etoile Fleur **Actually, I really hate writing jealous characters. xD But Dick is an exception because he's thirteen and kind of doesn't understand all the concepts that go with love just yet. **Feeling the 'aster **Aw that is so sweet of you to say! xD And I'm glad; I had to write this story coz I saw Under the Red Hood, too. ;A; JASON, Y U SO VENGEFUL? …how long you think I gotta wait until Damian's animated? :D **LolitaRoze **Haha; guess you'll have to wait and see, eh? C': **chocolatelover1 **Haha, I really really hate writing just two characters at a time; so there'll be ups and downs and conflicts with the rest of the team mates that effect Robin and KF too. C':

**Watchtower. **

Bruce wasn't stupid.

There were only rare occurrences where the Dark Knight made miscalculations—the wages, outcome, and probability were a high stake and gambling had been an unhealthy talent he often found a qualm to his many problems in Gotham. He had a 99.99% success rate with a .01% chance of failure. Part of it was dealing with villains that at often times were less than correct in the head and would not hesitate to kill if given the chance. That meant of course although he preferred creating a plan for the unpredictable, villains like Joker, Riddler, and Penguin decided to go with an…_anti-plan_, per se.

But he hadn't miscalculated. He wasn't stupid, there was no anomaly to his madness, and annoyingly without a doubt, he _knew_ Dick had a certain attachment to Barry's nephew the moment a red and yellow blur scurried through the streets of Gotham with big green eyes and a '_funny'_ voice that kept cracking.

There was something different about Wallace Rudolph West that set him aside from all the other sidekicks. Robin, Boy Wonder, was of course the first ever documented _sidekick_, but Bruce knew finding friends his own age and keeping a double life wouldn't be easy. Bruce Wayne was an adult. He lived his life and knew how to manipulate the system in his favor. Richard "Dick" Grayson was a nine-year-old _kid_ who had just lost his parents, and denied being overwhelmed by the duties of schoolwork and crime fighting.

It was a good miscalculation.

After watching Dick's face light up the first time into a thousand-watt smile upon meeting a hero close to his age (after humorously and repeatedly calling him stupid and adopting what Bruce now dubbed his ward's 'signature snigger'), he did what any father would in his position and made sure Robin and Kid Flash were often teamed up. Barry admitted his nephew had taken a liking, and if Dick noticed what his adoptive father was doing, he never blatantly complained about who was now his best friend.

And he knew there was a budding matter between his ward and that nephew. He marked the matter with ink, watching days ago for the first time as a normally-calm Robin lost thirty feathers panicking when Joker's twisted joke almost cost Kid Flash's life through a _bomb._ Bad miscalculation. He suspected, yes, that Joker would push his boundaries to any extent if it meant he could go out with a bang. Half his reaction was standard procedure: _save the victim; priority alpha. _The other half was only needed when he wasn't going solo: _protect the partner._ Bruce spent the earlier months of Robin's training reinforcing the idea of _always having a plan. Even if the first one is terminated._

It wasn't as much miscalculation as Bruce would call, "not expecting the unexpected." Robin nearly lost his mind realizing the Joker was hairline away from killing his best friend and team mate. Rule Number One: never call a fellow hero by his first name on the battlefield. Rule Two: _stay calm and 'whelmed.' _To say Robin always followed _rules_ would be lying (he kept an extra eye on the boy after the Cadmus ordeal), and a scatterbrained Dick running all over the BatJet losing feathers wasn't helpful.

Then just now before Laura De Mille freed herself from ropes, watching what Bruce considered a negative irregularity and fluctuation to Robin's own 97% success rate put more in Batman's study. To say he wasn't concerned for Dick's wellbeing would have been harsh—as he was, but that thought quickly was quickly interrupted once De Mille rammed Kid Flash into a wall and the speedster started showing signs of something unusual. Clark did the first thing that came to mind, and moments later Bruce expected to see his ward panicking and worried, convinced he was still rational despite the fact Bruce himself wouldn't be surprised if Dick ended up tripping over a rock.

He flashed Superman an _I Told You So_ face, knowing through the cowl anything he did Superman would stress over. Bruce liked to think of it as good stress. The so-called '_Boy Scout' _faked lightheartedness with any other ordeal that didn't involve that metahuman clone. Kryptonians, after all, were incredibly thick and troublesomely irritating. Hypocritical too, he supposed, but his days of messing with cloning and metas meant living by screwed up logic.

"They're very defensive over him," Superman muttered quietly as they waited on the other end of the zeta tubes.

"They see him as a friend." Again, being friends with a man dubbed _super_ in every category known to mankind, Superman also had _super _thickheadedness_. _Though incredibly thickheaded or not, Bruce knew for a fact _that nephew_ was trying (and failing, if he could so add) to cheer Dick up rather than call out the Man of Steel for his own stupidity. "The more you avoid him, the more they'll perceive you as an antagonist, Clark."

"I'm a very busy man, Bruce, I can't—I can't just set aside time and visit one little team." Superman was a man of very little security. Behind muscles and the large 'S' emblem, all the holes in his mask were only less than obvious.

Kryptonian blood was irritating. Batman dropped the conversation once the computer distinguished one leaguer, and guests 'B01' and 'B03.' A loud piercing scream flipped Bruce to Batman, hands instinctively tangling with his utility belt as Superman allowed access.

Robin, Supergirl, and Kid Flash appeared in the very center, none looking better off. In hindsight, he saw his partner in crime barely acknowledging the fact Supergirl had him in the air by a finger, and one Wally West was again twitching. Superman took no time hesitating, instead meeting his cousin in the air and pointing to the west medic wing. It was at that moment Batman grabbed an indisposed Robin, noting the paleness of the young teenager's face and horrified look.

"Let go," Robin breathed roughly. His hands twitched and Batman refused to let his partner leave his arms.

Instead, Batman dug for the cell phone he only used for emergencies including Wayne Industries and if the comm.-links were ever to go out. He typed a number known by heart, and waited only a minute before the phone was picked up with a whistle of air.

"_Hey, Bats. What's up?" _

"How fast can you get here—"

"_Um, in a __**Flash**__? Meet in the Batcave?" _

"No. It's Kid Flash. Bring yourself to the nearest zeta tube and I'll transfer you ASAP. Communications are currently down."

"_Wally?"_ Just as quickly as his name entailed, Flash went from Fastest Man Alive to Most Concerned Uncle on the Planet in a relative second and the whistling of air stopped. _"What…what happened?_"

"…I don't know." Bruce looked down to Robin, noting that once again the boy's usual air of confidence had been shaken like the night Wally gained his broken arm, broken collar bone, ruptured back, and a bad blow to the head that the meta's hyper-accelerated healing took care of. "Just get here." He shut his phone, securing it in a small compartment in his utility belt and narrowed his eyes expectantly to his young apprentice. "Don't panic."

Numb. Truth be told the look of devastation looked almost as bad as when the boy's parents had passed away, but quickly Robin reanimated, lips regaining color and any leaguers close by ran out of the room promptly before Batman forcibly shut the door. Anger flared in the teenager's psyche. "Don't…don't _panic_? Don't raise _pandemonium? _Don't ex_pan_d my worry further than it's already gone? Superman just hauled my best friend away while he's all _zitsy-zap-zipdooey_ and…and that _girl_, who _totally_ doesn't know what the heck she's doing seriously is working my last nerve, and _'scuse me if I'm kinda whelmed_, but at this point I'm a freaking _panderer!_"

Under normal circumstances Bruce would have pointed out that a panderer was someone who owned prostitutes. However, Atom was currently in the middle of stabilizing/prolonging the possible combustion of Wally West (a theory that probably occurred and was currently freaking out his adoptive son) until Flash would arrive, and Robin could spend plenty time at Kid Flash's side making sure he was okay later.

And then the thought failed to remind Bruce that although he was capable with technology, Dick spent plenty more days creating and destroying programs through the internet like a twenty-first century cyber-Hitler. The door slipped open, and without his signature laugh, Robin took his grappling gun along with what appeared to be a map of the Watchtower on his holocomp. Robin, Boy Wonder extraordinaire was out the door faster than Batman could react.

…he really needed to change the passwords on all the locked files.

The moment Robin disappeared, the teleporter beacon reactivated, reciting the number of his fellow leaguer and full-fledged, good-natured Flash stood at one tube with an almost _comical_ frown on his face, but with the utmost seriousness, Flash vibrated through the glass like it wasn't a big deal and looked around like a chipmunk on a sugar rush. "This better not be some _prank call_, Brucie."

"I don't prank call." Not since Gotham's villains decided that _prank calling _was fun a euphemism for deadly poisons and supersensitive explosives. He returned to the matter at hand, deciding from one paternal figure to another to sweep up his cape and began hightailing toward the West Wing. "Superman and Supergirl rushed him to the infirmary as quickly as possible. He wasn't in—" They froze.

"I don't think my salary can cover for that."

"Somehow I don't think your nephew is the only one to blame."

Machinery with dents, bruises, and soot sticking to the walls like a second skin. Holes melded with heat vision were scattered two feet apart, along with little smears of charcoal, ash and dusk. Anyone in the vicinity (including one John Stewart, who stared at the mess and grumbled something about speedsters) cleaned up major blemishes, and others sat up facing the aftereffects of what Batman could have sworn looked like Robin's knockout gas.

"Um. My guess is as good as any by this point—but I'm guessing Kid Flash kept vibrating and got stuck through the walls." Finally, something intelligible on the matter. Flash rubbed his chin, eyebrows knitting together thoughtfully (or so Bruce assumed under that mask) and took the stance of a runner. "I'm gonna go ahead. This doesn't look good, Bats."

"Affirmative." Batman simply stood, stunned by the damage along with the pickup of dust from what appeared to be a one-sided fight. One, he might add, that Dick skillfully won by jumping hoops and obstacles to avoid other leaguers. Those who hadn't seen Robin must have assumed he was an infiltrator trying to assault the league. Oh dear lord.

That being said, John raised his head, scraps of metal scooped off the ground with a ring-made bucket, and crossed his arms. "An explanation would suffice."

"Believe me." Under the cowl, Bruce's eyes narrowed wryly and wrinkles for the next seven years of Dick's puberty formed between the spaces of his brow. "If I knew what was going on in the mind of a thirteen-year-old boy I'd finally have answers to _all_ of his oddities."

He swooped into the shadows, quick to take out his tracker where sure enough, Robin along with Kid Flash's heat signature radiated in Room 3A of the west wing. He picked up his pace, tapping into the camera taking note of Kid Flash's current condition. Finally what seemed like ages later, he found both Robin and Flash pressed to the door.

"Would it _kill_ you to design this thing with a _map?_" Flash threw his arms in the air like a child experiencing a tantrum and pouted. "How did _he_ get here?"

Like always, Batman ignored his fellow leaguer, standing near Dick, where on the opposing side of the glass door Superman and Supergirl were having trouble restraining the twitching speedster. "Robin hacked the mainframe."

"Ooh. _Nice._"

"The door's locked," Robin grumbled. Apparently it hadn't occurred to a scatterbrained teenager, who though ironically hacked the mainframe _three times_ already, that he could have just opened the door with a picklock or once again, hack the mainframe _again. _

"Stay." Batman pushed the thought aside, lamenting the conversation he'd later have with Dick on matters of _that boy _after _said boy_ was stabilized. Surprisingly despite his sudden phase of rebellion, Robin nodded, eyebrows glued together, and one sliver of concern weaseled through his chest. "Can I trust you to fix the communication programming from your position here?"

Robin begrudgingly pulled from his thoughts, visually torn between watching the violent scene of Kid Flash spazzing in the room and obeying orders. Robin was _not_ to disobey orders, but Bruce knew that look well. He studied his boy long enough to know every shift in the young teenager's expressions before he nodded. "Yeah."

"Keep busy. You can see him as soon as we stabilize the body." Nod yet to be seen, Batman turned his head to meet Flash's gaze, and they took the descent down stairs to a large room composed of different devices labeled with an assortment of emblems. "Did you ever figure out why anything Wally vibrated through caused an explosion?"

"Sure, just let me check all the free time I've got," Flash commented with idle chirpiness and heavy worry.

"Anything we put him on," Supergirl said simply as Atom rubbed his head in frustration, "he _vibrates through and it explodes._ He's been magnetically drawn to walls, stopping _half way _through passing over, and it results in explosions."

So they'd seen. Bruce grunted, retreating to Atom's side and viewing various schematics the scientist must have jotted down. Atom looked between the other two heroes, obliquely scratching his head. "His atoms are what are going haywire. I can't figure out the cause of it, and he vibrates faster than I could initiate the neutralizer. We've only got three of these to spare."

It was also a dent in Bruce's wallet he'd have to pile up upon. Barry nodded, as attentive as Dick had been when Bruce tried to calm the poor boy down, and zoomed directly under both Kryptonians with a quaint grin. "Alright. _Drop him._"

The Super Cousins traded doubtful looks, but something such as facial expressions only goaded Barry on.

"Come on, come on! I've got him!" And, Flash must have realized what had gone wrong faster than any of them. In mutual agreement, the family pair dropped the yellow-clad speedster, whose uncle caught him with amiable grace and began to vibrate. Now it made sense.

"He's generating the same speed of vibrations to catch up to Kid's," Batman clarified as red and yellow blurs melded together in a dizzying orange. Supergirl and Superman alleviated their descent, landing skillfully next to the detective. There was screaming. Lots of screaming.

Through a whistle of air, a deafening screech hissed in their ears, the first cracks of electricity exploding into dissension. Bruce shielded himself behind his cape, cringing through vociferous pain as _lightning_ crackled high, blinding any sight and pulling at their atoms, seeming as though Flash was vibrating _faster_, generating _more_ discord and nearly blinding them in the process. Bruce felt a hand secure itself over his bicep, _protective,_ and noticed Atom being given the same cloak by red-blue-and-blonde.

Then it stopped. In mid-spin of havoc, all vibrations stopped and Batman's head convulsed as Clark cleared from his side to reveal both speedsters, uncle and nephew standing parallel to another. One quick look at Kid Flash reminded Bruce how his own partner was nearly half his own height. Kid Flash was a good five or six inches shorter than his mentor.

Dazed green eyes looked up, arm dangling limply at his side without a blinding yellow cast to be seen, and suddenly Wally wilted, collapsing like a dead flower with a loud, eradicating groan.

"What did you…_do?_" Supergirl took a step forward, expression mixed with surprise and uncertainty.

"Picked up his vibrations to take his speed away." More passive, Flash beamed with a cheerful smile and cradled the teenager close to his chest before setting him on the small cot. "Looks like that cast got destroyed in the process. There a way we can construct a new one?"

Kid Flash moaned loudly, head digging into the pillow meshing against hair. Slowly, green eyes fluttered open and he raised his head. "What…happened?"

Batman chose at that moment to slip away as the Supers began a scan of their vitals and Atom started rambling about cells. It was a wonder Robin hadn't come bursting in, wide-eyed and massacring the English language with a new word-of-the-day. Thought at hand, he ascended up the flight of stairs where sure enough, Robin mounted the floor where metal met the glass wall, and casually messed with what Bruce assumed was the Justice League's communications coding.

"It's back online," Robin raised his voice with acknowledgement. No more scatterbrained. No more running around with the possibility of tripping over rocks; no more leaping before acknowledging the fall. _Bruce wasn't stupid._

Just like the moment Kid Flash had his back against the floor of the BatJet after Robin sloppily gave him CPR (for the first time, Bruce added, considering the teenager had a preference to shock their victims awake), Robin sat calm like everything was right with the world.

Hopefully it was, Batman stressed in his head. Communications shutting down with a handful of Justice League members deployed on missions could have resulted catastrophically.

Realizing his adoptive father-slash-mentor hadn't vocalized a thing since his arrival, Robin stood tall, much like when debriefing the case of Madame Rouge earlier. "Aqualad and the others arrived to give Green Lantern a hand, but she managed to escape. They're requesting permission to see KF."

It wasn't the most amiable of circumstances. Batman's nose scrunched at the troublesome thought, reminded that all of the founding members had come to a hasty consensus to invoke the sideki—_partners _only when they were ready. Seeing as Kid Flash's atoms were _ripping him apart_ they hurriedly made an exception. However, Bruce also knew _Dick_ knew he'd caught his adoptive father at a crossroad between near-death and absolute worry before patrol, which generally ended with a less than vibrant, "Sure."

"Good." Robin grinned. "I already said yes."

"Then we need to talk." Notes gathered in an organized connection in Bruce's mind, he at that moment regarded Dick as both his _son_ and his _protégé._ The casual, easygoing smile disappeared from Dick's face-_a mechanical predictability—_as Robin looked to the ground, ready for Batman's recitation of his failures. Batman did one better, giving less than a glance to the window while another leaguer had been called to produce a new cast. "Where do you stand with Barry's nephew?"

Theatrically one optic lens widened to the size of a quarter while the other reduced to a dime. Dick stared at him wholeheartedly like Batman had just grown a second head. "What do you mean?"

"I told you to keep him under the false belief that Dick Grayson and Robin are two separate—"

"I've been doing that." If only the circus had bred a son that didn't poke at the Dark Knight's authority and replace it with Rob-thority. Much like his earlier years after the Two-Face incident where Robin bit back thinking out of the box if that meant going against Batman's plan in favor of a better one, a nervous fear strained in the back of Dick's throat.

"I'm not mad at you." Oddly enough. Though being the observant one he was (and deducing that Wally West was _indeed bisexual_), it called for a very worried father. "But _'I've been'_ is not synonymous to '_I did.'_ You've been intermingling and it will only cause trouble."

"_Batman_—"

"It's been two instances where without the Flash at his side there has been a mishap and left you distraught."

"I'm trying really hard to make it work." Suddenly it was no longer Bruce who was at crossroads between himself. Dick was at his own fork in the road between his childhood and justice. His tone shifted, the true aura of conflict tingling in his voice as he pushed a step forward toward his mentor. "But…when it comes to _him…"_

"You keep miscalculating." Speedsters tended to do that. Robin wore his heart on his sleeve whenever out on duty, and as Dick there was a stern barrier that kept the boy from telling anyone any of his secrets. He kept that barrier to a light boundary whenever with the rest of his team, but what Wally didn't know was he was one of the few people Robin never wore a mask for. That smile was genuine. "Where do you stand with Kid Flash?"

Shy Dick wasn't a character Bruce often saw. If ever. Robin took deft steps back, hands going to the tattered cape looped around his shoulders and tapered it around his arms. "He's my best friend."

"And?"

"_He's my best friend._" Emphatic point. Then again Bruce wasn't quite sure whom the declaration was directed to. Like a shy little kid hiding in his shell (another rare feat Bruce hadn't seen at all in the four years he acquired a son) Robin nervously fiddled with the nearest object—_his gloves_—and wouldn't look the detective in the eye. Apparently there had been a sentiment past between 'Wally and Dick' Bruce failed to notice when the blinding yellow nuisance dropped by to hang out with _Bruce Wayne's _son instead of Batman's Robin. "He's stupid, and he's a _manwhore_, and he doesn't know when to keep it in his pants, and—the way he acted, flirting with Supergirl was…was completely unacceptable because that's nothing you've ever taught me, and his _irritating habits_…"

Obviously Robin hadn't spent enough time with Catwoman to realize flirting went hand-in-hand with heaven and hell. Dick truly had never been a selfish kid, but at the same time never the humblest. Dick could be smug, make faces, but Batman normally endured the boy's temper tantrums if he banned Robin from a case. These were colors Bruce had never _seen_ before, and with the same sentiment Batman noted earlier, he knew he'd have to look into Dick's behavior. But not now. "Go visit him."

"At least you can't say I'm pandering anymore." A long sigh of relief strung from the young boy's lips as he shrank three inches, wit returning.

Bruce…made a mental note to check that thesaurictionary app and see just how many words Webster had pawned off his son in the last four years. Maybe Dick's…_colorful vocabulary_ was the reason why all dictionaries seemed to have more than one definition for each word.

Suddenly Robin's voice shrank into a measly tone, sprinkled with uncertainty and a concoction of irritating nerves. "Bruce?"

"Yes?" Batman hadn't seen Robin this tentative since their first year as partners.

"You keep calling Wally my closest friend and that I lose myself whenever he's incapacitated." The small mask stared Batman in the face with sheer curiosity. "When he's outcapacitated—" Bruce assumed Robin meant when the speedster was sober, sane, and wouldn't accidentally vibrate through the floor "—are you…giving me permission to tell him who I am?"

Funny how it was _Wally_ Dick was more concerned telling than all of his team mates. Four years ago, Batman's answer would have been strict to his sidekick. _No._ However, Robin proved himself worthy in judgment of character, never once faltering on patrol. They shared a silent connection all of Arkham Asylum would _kill_ for, and Robin was gradually crawling out of his role as a sidekick.

Crossroads, Bruce reminded to himself.

"I'm trusting you to make the right decision when concerning Kid Flash and Wally West. _When the time comes. _No. I'm not giving you permission to disclose your identity to anyone." Bruce took another glance to the pair of speedsters, knowing Robin would follow his gaze. The cast was almost if not entirely reconstructed, and Barry was tempting his poor nephew with a banana crème pie. Big green eyes stared at his uncle, no doubt inwardly smiting the man while the Supers restrained him to the bed. "…but you have my blessing, regarding the outcome should you continue this rouse and come into your own decisions. And he better not have eaten all the food at the Hall."

Robin laughed. He would never tell his son how much he loved that signature snigger.

**xxxxx**

Really, Wally thought as his head pulsed incoherently. He was _so_ getting beat up lately, and for a speedster who could experience a million-and-one things a day, he preferred _not getting his ass handed to him._ Technically this time it apparently had something to do with Barry's little Speed Secrets, but the man would never confess the truth to so many witnesses.

"Do you _have_ to eat that in front of me? I'm _starving_!" Not to mention, he was already pissed enough—what with the fact he apparently _lost_ the cast that had all his friends' signatures, including Dick's, his phone apparently spontaneously combusted after he had a vibrating meltdown, _he had a vibrating meltdown_, and one of the two people currently restraining him against the cot he currently disliked. Then again, most of the team had an avid dislike for the Man of Steel—and uh, wow, he probably should have been more relieved that the big guy wasn't heatblasting him at the moment—but due to his impulsive outburst Wally was trying to stay angry so he could ignore the fact he was scared out of his mind.

"His body seems stable," Atom (omigod, he was in the same room as _the_ Atom!) passed a friendly look to his uncle before his lips curled into a frown.

"Not to mention his vitals." Giggle.

If It wasn't meeting the Atom that made his heart quicken and squeal like a Justin Bieber fangirl, then it would be the fact that the red-white-and-blond _Girl Scout_ was currently the one tending to his arm. His heart fluttered, dreamy sigh escaping his lips as he got to see the super-alien-angel-thing and raised his head until his chin was in the air. "And how are my vitals, exactly?"

"_Vital-y_ functioning." She giggled again, small hand resting against her lip, and suddenly she smirked. "Are your boxers always red?"

"Are you always a peeping tom?" Ugh. World suddenly spinning again, Kid raised his hand to touch his head. When the world cleared, the look of disapproval wrote itself clearly on Superman's face. Er. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to be flirting with his daughter.

"Let me talk to him for a second." Uncle Barry unmasked himself with no shame, blond hair shimmering under pale lights as he gestured toward the door and stared at the other heroes. "I've got to figure out some personal issues with my nephew."

"You know what went wrong then?" Superman crossed his arms, expression unfazed as he looked to the other adult.

"Doesn't take much to get into the mind of a teenage boy." Finally getting bored of waving it in Wally's face, Barry disappeared as a blur, reappearing with the over bed table in one hand and the leftovers of pie in the other.

"Yes!" Oh, _heaven. _Wally felt the saliva forming in his mouth just _staring_ at that delicious piece of food. Come to think of it, he'd only had six meals that day and clearly was lacking nutrition after apparently destroying and vibrating and causing an entire hall to explode on his way to the west medic wing. Once it appeared his cast was proper and secure, he stole the spoon from his uncle's mouth and commenced eating. _Yes, yes, yes._

Looking back up the stairs after Supergirl dubiously waved, he caught a glimpse of Robin over his shoulder and froze. _Rob_ was here? The younger teen looked to him with both a frown and relief, but…it was good frowning and reliefing. Robin was back to himself.

Before Wally had the chance to get a word in, Superman (ugh, he was liking the guy _way less and less_) explained something to the Dynamic Duo and the door shut promptly on his best friend's face. Robin looked as devastated as Wally felt.

"We can let him back in after I'm done explaining what happened to you, Wally." Pfft. Amusement sang through Uncle Barry's tone as the adult took closer space to his right.

"Fohn." Oh, don't let the full mouth fool you; Wally was totally angry that he didn't get to see his best friend. In fact, there was a strip of glass through what appeared to be the second floor where Robbie just _looked_ at him, stunned. He swallowed hard, chest tightening and anxious to ask Boy Wonder what had gone down in the past few minutes that he'd blacked out, but also knew Uncle Barry wouldn't just drop the matter.

"Supes One and Two say that through that mess you shaved two weeks off your arm." Uncle Barry gestured to the cast and stole whipped crème before Wally could react. Quite frankly, the redhead felt _too tired_ to react. Actually, it felt like all of his energy had suddenly depleted. "Looks like your powers are manifesting."

"_Mahifeshting_?" Wally swallowed his food hard, then sat up high in the bed. Immediately he regretted it, loudly groaning as the world began to spin. "Moving…too fast…oh god…"

_Manifesting._ That was something you told Miss Martian when she would go through hot-alien puberty, or…or…_Supey_, who was currently showing a sixteenth of all Superman's known powers. _He_ had duplicated the experiment and in the probability of a billion to one, repeated the accident that caused his uncle to become the second Flash.

"Just by sitting up." Uncle Barry grinned cheekily and shook his head with light _tsks_. "Listen, Wally…I don't exactly know how your powers are going to affect you—"

"What makes you say _that_?" Oh God, if this was what a hangover felt like, he was glad that his body would wash out the alcohol before he had the chance to drink and drive. "I…have _all of your powers_, and…and…"

"You're also developing them slower than I am because of your age and physique." The adult shook his head, small frown tightening across his face and he stole their shared spoon to scoop up more pie. "Parts of your body are trying to develop as you grow up, but they're also competing with the chemical spill and your hyper-active _everything_, Wally. That's why you get bloody noses when you vibrate through objects, and why your center of gravity is all over the place if you try to stop abruptly."

"Alright, I _get it._" He hated it when Uncle Barry thought he needed to downsize everything for him to understand. Green eyes darted to his mentor's face, and suddenly he didn't have an appetite. "So, what, after breaking my arm the makeup of my body ended up screwing me over? Is that it?"

"Actually, I think your hyper accelerated healing spent so much time trying to heal your arm, that when you ran fast enough it jumpstarted all of your molecules and your body was trying to reconstruct itself." He whipped out a dark red sharpie and neatly scrawled the name, '_Barry Allen'_ on the top of Wally's new cast. "Hyper accelerated super speed, hyper accelerated reading, hyper accelerated super healing—you're gonna have to lay off the HA and give your body a break. You're exhausted, right?"

Wally leaned his head back, then slowly nodded. Even in uniform, _laying off_ more than his uncle had made him was like a punch from Superboy in the gut. He'd been vocal since Uncle Barry _assigned_ the mission of figuring out who was trying to hack into the computer mainframe. Not being able to run was no better than just ripping his legs off.

Uncle Barry must have noticed his strife. "I know what you're thinking."

"Really."

"Yes. You have a tendency to get pouty whenever I don't let you have your way. Seeing as I just finished off the pie, I guess I can't bribe you, either. Look, I'm not saying you can't run, Wally, I'm saying you should heed my warning when I tell you not to stress yourself out. _Okay_? Your aunt would kill me if the next time I come home without you, I say: 'Sorry, Iris. Your nephew sort of spontaneously combusted because he ran too fast.'" Barry nudged him lightly in the arm. "You can still visit Gotham, how about that?"

That certainly pulled him out of self-pity. Wally's eyes widened to the size of the pie plate. "For real?"

"You have to run by Batman sometime next week and let him get a check on your vitals." The Fastest Man Alive's eyes narrowed dangerously and he crossed his arms. "Promise me you'll do that?"

"Done. _Done._ A…Are you letting me _go by myself_?" Obviously that was a no. That meant during the three weeks, he could spend as much time as he wanted with Dick as he wanted, even if his uncle _was_ going to be supervis—

"Well, the only reason I'd been going to Gotham with you the past week was to study and compare evidence about the infiltrator." Skeptically, Barry tapped his chin before replacing the cowl over his eyes. "And now Madame Rouge will become high priority while Bats updates the security system. I'd prefer being there with you, but…I do trust Robin. So, sure. Go nuts."

"If I didn't have a list of forty-two reasons why I wouldn't marry you—_I would so marry you._" Donning the yellow-and-red costume was going to be kept to a minimum during his next three weeks of incapacitation, but that also meant he could spend as much time with Dick Grayson as he wanted. He could _talk_ to Dick, they could play video games, watch movies, and one-up the other to their heart's content. Oh god. He was ready to kiss his uncle-slash-mentor and mark out the #34 of 42 reasons not to marry his uncle.

"You have a list of reasons not to marry me? _Eww._"

"Can I see Rob now?" Actually he caught a glimpse of a black-and-red _'S'_, along with green skin at the window. His team mates were here, and that was probably why he was staring at the face of the Flash instead of his dorky uncle.

"Almost. That's the last thing I want to discuss with you." Before the redhead could make attempt to leave the cot, Flash pinned him to the bed with one of his crooked frowns. "Wally…you have to be careful."

"Uh, _duh._" He arched an eyebrow. "Isn't that what we've been talking about?"

"No. With fast-paced reading also comes relative and perceptive time and that was something I had trouble understanding when I first became the Flash too." Flash tilted his head where Wally couldn't see his mentor's eyes. "You're in love, aren't you?"

Uh. "Wh-What makes you say that?" It hadn't been a label that _occurred_ to him just yet, but—oh good god, why was his face as red as his hair? Or worse—_his uncle's costume?_

"Hey, I'm fine with the shalalalalala-_my-oh-my_-ing under the sea," Leave it to his uncle to make corny Disney references the same day the young speedster was about to combust on an atomic level. Flash quickly sobered, attention specifically set on his sidekick. "But your emotions are gonna cause you problems and screw up your perception. When your brain starts thinking _dangerously _slow, it's going to be dangerously fast for him. You get what I mean?"

"Not exactly." He was still stuck on this love thing.

A sigh escaped Uncle Barry's lips and he scratched the back of his head, other hand resting at his hip. "I get it, kid: you're kind of head-over-heels for—ahem—Dick Grayson, and your aunt and I never judged you because of your interests. But…you're a teenager, so it's already gonna be hard enough not to jump the first thing you see—"

"_Nohumpinggotit._" Dick was only _thirteen_! Sure a cold shower here or there, but he seriously didn't need his _uncle_ vocalizing all his private thoughts.

"—but combined with how fast your brain is working in _relative time_, Wally, it would only take you a minute to fall absolutely in love with someone. Not just the simple, _love-at-first-sight_, but the whole enchilada. Understood?" Flash collected the empty pie plate and tossed it in the trash. "I haven't seen you this in love and happy _once_ through all the relationships you've had. If Dick is different, then you'll have to wait."

"…yeah." Wally stared down to the large red lightning bolt against his chest, fingers pressing into his cast. Uncle Barry had a point. There were more disadvantages to being the Fastest Boy Alive than most people would have thought. Barry's metabolism was that of an adult's, but Wally's must have doubled already from youth and just in general. Having an attraction to someone could last days or relative days, depending on his own reaction and thoughts. After the initial shock of meeting someone as hot as _Supergirl_, for example, the attraction dissipated. She was hot, _yeah_, but every time he looked at those blue eyes he compared them to Dick's.

Relative or not, he liked the feeling he got whenever Dick and he were together. He _loved_ it. And…and yeah, it'd only been maybe a week, so Uncle Barry was probably right.

Wally sat up straighter despite his migraine having yet to disappear. "You done?"

"Yup. It's—oh god, four in the morning in Kansas. I'm feeling up for some chicken enchiladas though. Catch up with your team mates and we'll zeta beam back to the house, okay?" Flash grinned, then zipped up the stairs. "You want chicken or cheese? I'll run by the cafeteria and come back in a minute."

Chicken _or_ cheese? "Both. _Duh._" Wally steadily moved his head and found his mask sitting on the other end of the overhead table. He heard his uncle crack a dorky joke before leaving, followed by footsteps down the stairs and a slice through air that most definitely wasn't from a pair of running feet.

"Wally! Are you alright?"

"Oof! Hey, Megalicious." Redeeming his identity as Kid Flash, he wearily grinned and winced as one simple hug seemed to suffocate his nerves. "Ow! Er, uh—sorry, beautiful. I'm sort of out of it."

M'gann gasped, hands collecting at her lips before she finally backed off with a look of concern. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be." Robin snickered, and immediately there was a dip in the small cot as the youngest teenager cozied next to Kid with a satisfied grin. "You should have seen it. KF turned into _pure energy_, and Flash had to match vibrations with him to take away his speed."

"What," Kid arched an eyebrow and smirked. "No underlying insult?" Now that his uncle was no longer in the room and his thoughts were pushed aside, Wally could feel the lethargy creeping up his spine. He suppressed a yawn as Di…Robin nudged him in the arm.

"Freebie." Which really meant: _I was too worried to come up with an insult._ Through tired eyes Wally looked to his best friend and took the chance to bury his head into the youngest teenager's shoulder. Robins had good nesting shoulders. Said little birdie tensed, but Wally was too tired to care that he was probably crossing some boundaries. Finally Boy Wonder relaxed, and Kid sighed blissfully. "Batman says you vibrated out of your cast."

"Mm." Kid held it up and felt a hand touch the same arm. His eyes fluttered open, meeting eyes with Kaldur, then Superboy, who stood at the foot of his bed without saying a word. Mostly his thoughts were on the leader, mentally preparing for the long lecture Aqualad was no doubt going to give him.

"Sorry I was whining over the comm.-link, Boss." He bat one string of red eyelashes, then buried himself deeper into Robin's shoulder. Occasionally the kid would nervously tense, but he hadn't protested. Mm, and Robbie had nice shoulders.

"…we do not know the complications about your powers per se, Kid, but this time…" Aqualad flashed a worried look, fervent frown tickling his lips as he crossed his arms. "Will you listen to me?"

"Yeah." He was still trying to take in the impact of what Barry had told him. If he wasn't careful, he could end up moving too fast for Dick—and he _still_ didn't know what way the kid swung. "Yupsirree, Bossman."

"Alright. Then…rest for the time being." His leader nodded courteously and traded looks with the rest of his team mates. Honestly Wally just wanted to eat those cheese and chicken enchiladas before going off to bed. "I promise you that in these three weeks if we cannot forego a mission without your speed, we will contact you."

"Alright." _God_, people were gonna owe him for being so drunkenly cooperative.

"So…this is the team?"

Tiredness gone. Immediately Kid Flash sat straight in his seat, nearly pushing Robin out of his cot in the process as he looked to those bubbly bright blue orbs, gorgeous miniskirt and flowing blond hair. There was _no freaking way_ he was going to falter for a competitor.

Despite being quiet after his freebie comment, Robin was the first to actually say something while Supergirl soared through the air and picked up a blue sharpie from the overhead table. "Weren't you supposed to be on a mission to Metropolis?"

"Yeah…but my _cousin_ doesn't think it's a good idea for the time being if I visit you guys anymore." _Kara._ Wally stared at the signature with wide eyes while Supergirl's delicately dangerous hands ran across his knuckles. She smiled, eyes glowing, and looked to him with an arched eyebrow. "And if you didn't notice, I put emphasis on _cousin._ Superman is my _cousin_, not my father. Though…he does act like that sometimes. Guess we'll have to save our…_race_ for later, huh, Wally?"

"It's a date." Oh, _wow_. Talk about quickest disclosure of secret identities of the _century._ Wally grinned, unsure of what else to say until Robin forcefully shoved him. "Ow! Dude!"

"Cooties," Robin piped. After that not another word escaped his lips. He sat there, grumpy expression mimicking his mentor's.

Ugh. Kid Flash arched an eyebrow, and decided to say nothing. Instead, he turned his head, catching a glimpse of that 'S'—and froze. Quickly he slapped a pouty Robin in the arm, violently shaking him as his eyes landed to the end of his bed where Superboy and the rest of their group stood. Blue eyes stared back, sparkling much like the _other_ Kryptonian in the room, and mouth falling to the ground.

"What? What is it?" Supergirl had apparently overlooked what was behind her. She turned around slowly, and Wally could feel Robin climbing over him with anticipation. Time seemed to stop."…who are you?"

"Who are _you_?" Superboy's voice was generally soft and quiet for a reason. Unless he was in one of his moods or realized the mission had priority over his own emotions, he never raised his voice and had been trying _really hard_ to be friendly and sweet.

"Kara Zor-El. Supergirl. You…" Supergirl touched her feet to the ground, and almost ironically there was barely a height difference. Superboy was half a head taller. "You look like—"

"_I am._" Yikes. Immediately Superboy's entire demeanor changed, _angered_ with his voice raised, and he clenched his fists. "I'm…I'm his son."

"I'm his cousin. It's…" She took a breath, and any air of flirtation she once had disappeared. Supergirl smiled sweetly, hand extended in midair. Wally glanced at his best bud, then his leader, and noticed no one seemed to have an expectable outcome. "It's nice to meet you, Super…boy?"

There it was again. Before Supey had a chance to have one of his outbursts, that twinkle appeared in his eye like the day of his 'birth.' Superboy lowered his head until they were seeing eye-to-eye, and he nodded slowly.

"That makes us cousins. Call me Kara." She smiled softly and tilted her head to the side. Supey looked like he'd just won the lottery and more. "What's your name?"

Suddenly it was all gone. Before Superboy managed to find a new, residual hope, it was ripped away from him, and Wally pitied the poor teenager. He was sure he wasn't the only one. "I'm just his clone. I don't have one." Silence.

Robin tugged on Wally's arm, and in instinct the redhead leaned into his best friend, unable to look the scene in the face. Aqualad and Miss Martian both had looks of concern, but it was Supergirl that surprised them all. There was no disgust, no shock, and no hatred.

Surprised, maybe, but it disappeared from her face quickly. She _smiled. _"Then maybe we could—"

"I'm leaving." Superboy did a one'eighty before ascending up the stairs, eyes not once looking to his team mates. Kid could only guess the guy was getting overwhelmed by his emotions and hadn't the slightest idea how to react. The door slid shut behind him.

"I'm going after him." Kaldur quickly stood to his feet and scurried after the big lug, M'gann also high in the air.

"Sorry, Wally." She frowned apologetically, then gestured to the door. "I just…I don't think it'd be a good idea to leave it at this. And, we need him to come back to the base. Will you be okay?"

"Uh, yeah." Wally forced a smile. Once the door shut for the last time, his eyes wandered to the quiet Supergirl, her hand still extended in gratitude. It must have felt cold. "Um, don't take it personally, Supergirl."

"He's got a point," Robin piped. "Superboy was _kinda_ in a tube for sixteen weeks since birth and basically had his emotions spoon fed to him. And your cousin kinda _super rejected him_ the same day he was 'born.'"

"He's happy," Wally agreed, pushing himself off the bed to touch the girl on the shoulder. Supergirl snapped out of her thoughts at that same moment. "He just…needs to think about it. Trust me—he could have done a lot worst damage." He flashed a look, green eyes pushing against her blue. No Dick. He was just worried that his two newest friends-slash-cousins were going to do something stupid. "You…gonna be okay?"

She nodded hesitantly. "Y…Yeah. I-I've got to get to Metropolis. It was…It was nice meeting you, Wally."

"Yeah. Me too." Maybe if the circumstances were better. For the umpteenth time that night, someone departed from the west wing infirmary with a less than cheerful expression. Wally knew he wouldn't be able to add to any of the cheer when they left. He looked to Rob, and even Boy Wonder was lost in his own thoughts. It would have been too much an effort to snap bird boy out of it.

So instead, Wally awkwardly and silently cheered, remembering this was their _first visit_ to the Watchtower.

But it looked like they overstayed their welcome.

**xxxxxx**

**Author's Note: **

Two questions I know I'll probably get: _Why didn't Wally vibrate through Supergirl and Superman? They should have exploded!_ I'm calling plothole. xD;; If there is an explanation for this out there, feel free to give me a creative input. _Does Wally already know Robin is Dick?_ I dunno. _Does he_? :P I actually hate when there's only interaction between two characters, thus why you get the point of view of Batman, and also the appearance of the Flash. Who. Well, ate all of the Banana Crème Pie. Another thing I want to warn you about: Wally's gonna be moving fast. Not that his character hasn't already, but one moment he could be talking about how sweet Dick is, and then the next just kiss him—which is why Barry mentions relative time. Robin's feelings are gonna be pretty mellow, but Wally's…Wally's is honestly all over the place. Deadly combo—LET'S GO!

And two more things: I've actually gotten comments on my writing on how it's different from others' at times, and a little hard to follow. xD; Like the title implies, the story can be lighthearted, and so for the first couple chapters it's been very lighthearted. I've tried to attach it as close to a teenage boy's emotions as possible, and hope I've succeeded. This chapter and on, the tone takes a slight change. The second is, I'm curious: how do _you_ guys think I'm sgonna write Wally finding out Robin's identity?

Song suggestion: Fever by Family Force 5; Black Cat by Mayday Parade (guess which song is for which character ;D)

Preview: _"I…I mean…does this sort of count as our first date?"_


	7. Eros

**Inkfriends **Uhh, thanks? Haha. Thanks for the review! **Lillythemarshmellowqueen **Haha; each week is so much fun though. Works for me. C': Enjoy this chapter! Thank you for the review! **swirlhearty23 **Haha, I'm glad you liked it! **VampirePrinssess **That's actually a matter that I'm gonna touch on a bit later, hehe. Don't worry about Superboy! He's just gonna be his cute awkward self. **LolitaRobin **Haha, you dead set on that answer? ;D Thank you very much for the review! **Ryssa1457 **I'm debating putting updates back a day to see if I get more hype if I separate the update day from the new episode day. Haha; thank you very much! **Amen **Thanks for the review! **LorelaitheHiden **Oh, that's so sweet of you! Thank you very much, I'm glad you liked it! **OrangeSpiral **Haha; I can honestly promise you that the way Wally finds out who Robin actually is will be one of my favorite moments to write. **Vudupins **Haha; I actually wrote Batman at like four in the morningish? And reread it both at that time and after I woke up, then realized—wow, I really like it. C': **Zuzubear **Haha, she and Wally are gonna flirt a lot in the story. Makes for a good pout from Robin. **LockedKeys **Thank you very much! I wanted to focus it deliberately on the relationship between Dick and Wally as if it would happen in the show. Obviously it wouldn't—but there sure are enough queer moments. Eheh. **Pamellka **Been a while. Keep forgetting to stop by the forum. Hehe. But I'm glad you like it. xD **Animelover210 **Haha, Wally showering Dick with gifts would be cute. xD What do you get for the boy who's father can get him anything? **Lilnarusasu **Hehe. You crack me up. xD Haha. I think you'll like this chapter, and I'm glad you liked everything in the last chapter. Daddy Bats is someone really fun to write; I hope I'm doing him right. Oof. **Redkittychan **Haha, I'll keep that in mind. C': Thank you very much, I'm glad that you find my story captivating and I'm hoping I'm not the only one staring at the screen expecting a new slash moment every time there's Rob and KF together. Because. Well. You always see a new one. It's not a maybe, it's an _always. _Superboy is fun to write, and he and Supergirl take up some screen time for the next couple chapters, which does all lead up to something. C: Can't wait until we get there. **XxFallingxAngelxX **You have no idea what I was thinking when I read this review. xD I absolutely love it, and the fact you had a suggestion on my made me laugh. It wasn't a bad laugh—it made me giggle. What I want you to do is, pay extra attention to every detail for the next couple of chapters and see what happens. Roy's, Dick's, and Wally's relationship with one another is so freaking fun; I can't wait to touch on that in the future, it's so fun to write. In chapter five, Wally actually texted Dick and Robin's holocomp (my little name for his holo-computer) pinged. Hehe. **Karma Killer 11 **One of the best out there? It's so flattering to hear you say that, so thank you very much. xD Superman makes more, subtle appearances. It mostly focuses on Robin and Kid Flash, along with spotlights from their group and mentors. However, I am getting some sidestories out there. C': **Just A Girl With A Keyboard **That might be the reason. But hnngh, have you seen Downtime yet? That man has a gorgeous pair of green eyes. I would marry him in a heartbeat. **BubbleFairy03 **Oh. Oh my. xD When I clicked the link, I just laughed. Like, you have _no freaking idea_ how much I laughed. I'm actually more of a Bart/Tim fan, but I see where people get Conner/Tim. It makes me giggle. xD **nMu **Haha, thank you very much! **Fuutaba **THREE WEEKS? Dude I've been sobbing to my friend about that for uh. Well, since I got your review. She proceeded with calling me a short nerd. Ehehe. **TotallyPSYCHED **Haha, thank you very much. I actually love writing Superboy and Aqualad out; there's so much tension there because of Superboy's inability to comprehend anything. xD That'll be fun to write. AND His REACTION. I have it planned, and I'm hoping people will love it. **Chibi-Roy-Chan **Haha, but does he know _in this story? _C': And yeah; I see where people are getting the idea that my story's hard to follow. From this point on it gets a lot easier, but maybe that's just my opinion. Haha. **Leisurestars **Haha, there are a lot of stories of Batman playing overprotective father. I can't wait to write Flash being overprotective uncle. C': **ChikaraDesu **This story…will be anything but simple. xD It's going to give me the bestest headache ever. I'm glad you took note of when I said '3% failure.' That part of the review actually made my day. C': PIE IS LOVELY. I'VE MADE SOME. **La Loba de Mibu **All I can honestly say is to keep extra note of what I do in the story. I actually love your review; it's the first time anyone's ever specifically told me they were '_enamored_', hehe. Yay large-ish vocabulary? Batman's character…if I were to write him as a cruel, heartless bastard (and I'd written the chapter based on Schooled), I don't think it'd fit. He's pretty fatherly; I think I'll put an explanation about his personality later in the story. C': Superboy…oh, god. I just love him. xD **Chasing **Haha. Thank you very much! **White-Tainted-Red **Haha, really? I tried to capture the writing in the mind of a teenage boy, so it's kind of odd. xD Wally gets hurt all the time—but that's the last time for a while. I hate having to write the needy character, actually. xD **Lilac Rose6 **Haha, have you ever found a story right before bedtime and started reading it and it turned out really good—so you decide, "Okay, I can stop reading it in five minutes," then after you're done with the story, you realize about five hours have passed? I love stories like that. xD And Kara gets to show up a lot more; I really do hope I'm doing her character justice. xD; **Occultus Reproba **Thank you very much! I'm glad you like it so much, hehe. Enjoy this chapter!

**Eros.**

"Um…"

"Dude, _chill._" Dick arched an eyebrow as he undid the slipknot and recited logarithms in his head for the next Mathletes meeting. _Logarithms._ Two to the 'x' power equaling eight could be written as log-eight-base-two equaling…three. His meeting had run late, and unlike the Robotics Club and their laidback attitudes, he was still stuck in Gotham Academy's ridiculous school uniform that he had a sneaking suspicion Wally was currently ogling. "Sorry. My meeting ran late."

That seemed to snap Wally out of his daze. "Your…_'meeting'_?"

They sat at the school auditorium, where the academic team was currently disassembling the buzzers and screen from the practice rounds while the drama club was doing measurements for set alignment and taping the floors. The fact Wally had texted him, _begging_ to come inside the school to pick him up for iced mochas and smoothies caught him off guard.

He pretended not to notice that there was an evident lack of Wally's previous signatures on his bright yellow cast, and his jaw tightened, reminded that _Kara _was written in neat, flowery cursive on the other teenager's arm. She was unnecessary, annoying, and led to two very underwhelming matters: Superboy now wasn't talking to anyone or anything that had a pulse (not even Black Canary could get a word out of him—and he _loved_ her tough love), and she provided distraction on the field whenever Kid Moron was involved.

"You okay there?" Wally flashed a grin, getting closer to Dick's field of vision as he plopped onto the stage, sling-free, and arched an eyebrow. "Getting visions of the future and becoming the badass son to the Wayne Fortune?"

"Adopted son," Dick chimed absentmindedly, then jotted down the last notes to his text book. Unceremoniously, he shut it and tossed it aside before pushing off the stage and directing a look to one of his classmates. "Hey, Als, got those math problems done and the schedule for the Mathletes. Anything else?"

Alexa looked away from her twin, _Alexander_, and for a moment she went all googly-eyed to the redhead sitting by Dick's foot. He rolled his eyes, getting _really tired_ of Wally's apparent hotness with the entire student body. Finally she ceased, hand _'modestly'_ pressing to her cheek. "N-Not at all, Dick. Just remember to study your lines—we've only got two months until opening night and you're our only Cupid."

"_Eros_," he corrected just as lightly when addressing Wally on the legal status between he and Bruce. "I'm playing _Eros_ in the school production of _Eros and Psyche._"

"_Dude_! You're playing Cupid?" Oh by the Gods of Aster. Wally chortled, hands clutching his sides as he tossed his head in the air. "Oh my god! First you look _freaking hotdorable_ in your school uniform, and now you're telling me you're gonna be playing a little baby in a diaper? Omigod, I am gonna have to get _so many deets from Rob…_"

"Do you wanna hang out or not?" Mildly mortified, Dick ignored the fact his ears were burning bright pink in favor of smacking his best friend-only-totally-not-as-Dick-Grayson and silently thanking Alexa and Alexander for keeping their mouths shut—along with anyone else because Wally was just so freaking _loud._ To prove to Bruce that handling Wally was a no-brainer, he _did_ sign up for the school play, and once they were in private, he was going to '_shyly'_ ask for advice, '_confessing'_ that he joined to impress the girl playing Psyche. And _hotdorable_? Where the heck did _that_ come from?

Instantaneously his best friend froze among his laughter, colorfully green orbs narrowing with a surplus of horror, and obediently nodded. "Um, what else do you have to do?"

"What else?" Dick repeated. He rubbed his chin, lips twisting contemplatively as Wally silently watched on, and looked back to the Als. Alexa was, after all, playing his leading lady. "Is that it?"

She nodded quaintly, eyes never leaving Wally's form before running a finger down a clipboard. "Yup. I would say you're pretty much free for the rest of the day, Dick. Just remember that robotics club is tomorrow."

"Gotcha." With an unceremonious leap, Dick slid off the stage and landed perfectly at his feet. It was only Monday, but as Kid Flash, Wally had been babbling to _Robin_ about everything his uncle was worried about. Relative and perceptive time or whatnot. Falling into all the stages of love in less than a minute while the recipient barely managed to choke out a 'hi.' "We can grab a bite at Flo's, if you want. I know you like the banana split pizza brownie."

Wally grinned. "Best way to get to _my_ heart is through my stomach."

Honestly he still couldn't perceive Wally more than his best friend. An _irritating_ best friend who couldn't keep it in his pants and irresponsibly was going around with the Girl of Steel's autograph on his arm. Just…what _was_ that, anyway? Dick-and-Robin nonsense aside, there was something about Supergirl that he seriously didn't find himself liking. Well, she was _alright_, accepting Supey only a second after the 'C' word left his mouth, and that should have been enough. But he didn't like her.

Relaceptive time aside, Dick just knew a millennia could past and he'd still see Wally in the same light he always did.

"So did you seriously…call me _hotdorable _in front of all my classmates?" He decided to change the subject as they passed the campus fence and flashed a smirk. Channeling Robin with Dick's guise, he strapped his backpack tightly to his shoulders, remembering he'd need to change once they got to the diner.

"Er—" This had been a new, embarrassing predicament Dick found himself in: watching Wally's entire face turn as red as his hair. The speedster offered a guilty look and leaned his head forward. "Sorry, it—it kinda slipped."

"How would _you_ feel if in front of the whole student body of your school, I called _you_ hotdorable?" Kansas wasn't exactly known as New York's best friend. There were some pretty modest people there. Point brought to the plate, Dick arched a playful eyebrow and prodded Wally's good arm.

"Depends. Do you find me attractive?"

Dick stopped in his place, eyes refusing to look at the redhead next to him. Right. Wally was far gone from his googly-eyed stage and now was trying to figure out Dick Grayson's sexuality. Quickly recovering, Dick forced a laugh and pressed a button on the lights before they could be accused for jaywalking. "I find you incredibly cocky."

"You said _cock_y." He didn't miss the subtle hesitation in Wally's voice. The other teenager grinned, freckles dancing around his face as he sidestepped Dick and invaded personal space. "I for one think that means you think I'm hot. Or adorable. _Or hotdorable._"

"You suck at wordplay." Dick left it at that. As Robin he would have also said, _leave it to the professionals_, because a word like '_hotdorable'_ belonged to the list of uncreative, ugly words at the bottom of his thesaurictionary. Now that Wally was here, Dick pulled out every possible shield he'd created that would make this friendship easy as possible. No asking how Wally could come here when Central City was two hours behind Gotham (it was a quarter to five, actually), no pestering why there were only four signatures on a cast Wally previously had dozens of, and no questioning what business Barry Allen had with Bruce Wayne.

"Um," Wally said goofily as they made a turn around the block. He slid his backpack off and dug for four sharpies. "Do you wanna sign my cast?"

"Didn't I already?" The black-haired teenager feigned curiosity.

"I had to get a new one." The other teenager shrugged, going through four colors before handing Dick a particular color. "Blue's your favorite color, right?"

"Yeah." He shrugged nonchalantly, grabbing the same sharpie as last time and writing his name neatly in an empty space. The other thing he'd learned about Wally West through their little meetings was that Wally left much of the truth in his lies whenever making up excuses to civilians. Bruce told him to lie his butt off if the situation called for it, but the so-called _wordplay_ was something his adoptive father had done a thousand times, too.

Wally though, would have been a certified cryptic if Dick didn't already know all the lies in his best friend's web. "You've got great penmanship."

"Mm, I'm more of a…_techy_ than you'd think." Plus the fact his education was fuzzy during his years in the circus, so Alfred spent a good six months trying to correct his chicken scratch. "Speaking of things that look oriental…you gonna get Bob Hopper to sign it again?"

"Bob Hopper?" The redhead tapped his chin, eyes looking up in the air. "Bob Hopper, Bob Hopper, Bob Hopper…"

Roy seriously needed to work on his penmanship. Like, _stat._ Playing down a grin he always wore around his best friend, Dick contrived curiosity and timidity as they crossed the street. Flo's Dining was another block away.

"_Roy_. Oh god, he seriously needs to work on his penmanship." Wally pressed the palm of his casted hand to his forehead and rolled his eyes. "Like seriously, Grayson. He's lucky there's this little invention called a _cell phone_—otherwise I'd never understand what he writes. But yeah, his name's Roy Harper."

"I take it he's not your typical classmate." The way Wally talked about him was plain indication. Dick smiled softly, hidden mischief tingling at the skin of his lips as they made their way through the parking lot.

"He's like a brother to me." As if he remembered something, the redhead's entire demeanor contorted, frown decorating his features before opening the door for the both of them. "He's in college now, and he's my best friend."

Really now? "Other than Rob?"

"Rob's not really family the way Roy is."

Ouch. Dick felt his chest harden, frown threatening to spread across his lips. The tips of his fingers tingled with a sudden irritation, and he dug a hand through the strap of his backpack to keep from showing. "Really."

"_Well_," started the other teenager skeptically. They occupied the same booth like the first time, Dick realized. When it had been Wally and _Robin_ hanging out at the diner. Mustard and ketchup stains could still be seen pressed to the marble of the table. "Rob's actually your age. I…I can just about tell Rob anything because he's my best friend, but uh, there are some things you just need a brother to tell."

"So you don't like Rob enough to consider him a brother." _Double ouch. _He just got a_ douch._

"Are you nuts?" That totally wasn't a denial of the statement. What caught Dick off guard was when Wally's entire face began to glow a fervent shade of pink and he began fidgeting with a loose end to his sleeve. "Of course I don't see Rob as my brother. I mean, he's my _bro_, but not my brother. That make sense?"

"Not exactly." Trouch_. _

Wally made a face, eyebrows scrunching in plenty different angles before green orbs shined brighter. "Roy's like my older brother. I've known him since I was thirteen, the same way that I've always known Rob. Uh, look, you probably wouldn't understand this since you're thirteen too, but with Roy…he just wouldn't judge me."

"I doubt Rob would either." Dick picked at napkins, trying to find whatever was around to busy himself so he didn't end up snapping. Competing for Wally through Roy wasn't exactly easy. Roy was _taller_, more physically fit, and considering they both knew the issues of high school better than he did. He may have had reign when it came to battle tactics and legible penmanship, but Roy _was_ the big brother. Wally played middle child, but seeing where this conversation turned Robin apparently wasn't getting the privilege of 'little brother.'

"I know Rob wouldn't judge me. He doesn't judge me and I don't judge him." Despite the obvious, '_this-is-totally-ridiculous'_ tone in Wally's voice, there appeared to be some sincerity. Dick was midway through snapping the napkin holder into pieces when he looked up to see that Wally was seriously trying to make sense of it. Whatever _it_ was. "But when Roy doesn't judge me…he also has an opinion."

"Kids my age aren't always lifeless drones, West." Dick moved to fiddle with straws, then noted Shelly the Waitress was still here. She was apparently steering clear of their table.

"Oh my god, please don't take whatever comes out of my mouth to heart." Wally's tone picked up immediately, eyes doubling twice their size as he sat back in his seat. A groan escaped his lips, red tingling at the ends of his cheeks. "It's a little fuzzy to me, too, but like I said. I…I consider Roy family because all I have to do is turn around and know he's there. A-And Rob is _too_, but…I don't see him as my brother. I see him as my best friend."

Dick cocked his head.

"Rob," Wally said flatly without noticing the confusion in the teenager parallel to him, "is just _Rob._ I don't think I could ever hang out with him and think for a second he was my little brother. Little brothers mean _pesky, irritating, annoying pests_ who are bent on making your lives completely miserable. Rob only makes my life a _little_ miserable. I can't see him as a big brother 'cause he's itty-bitty, but although there are times I think he's lost his head, he's not a little brother. He's like, whatever kind of relationship you can have with a person when you're not blood related."

He must have stared at Wally for all of eternity. Dick's eyes narrowed, chest tingling in surprise as any logical thought he'd had suddenly disappeared. Not knowing what to say, he stood up, backpack in hand.

Wally snapped out of his crazy logic, eyebrows furrowed on the brink of hysteria. He stood up, four inches taller against Dick's own caliber. "I-I didn't offend you, did I? Oh god, _sorry_, you probably already _know_ Rob, and here I am just babbling on…"

What? "Dude," Dick cracked a light grin and bit back a laugh. "I'm going to go change."

"R…Really?" Funny how in less than a second Wally went from absolutely shaken to dumbstruck. "For serious?"

"_For serious._" He flashed another look, ignoring the fact his ears were as warm as his face, and tugged at his blazer. "Will you order something for me?"

"Erm." Wally smiled goofily, pink tickling his cheeks. "Yeah."

Ick. Refusing the urge to roll his eyes, Dick playfully nudged the other teenager from under the table and scooted out of the booth. He looked to Shelly, who was eying him like a hawk, and quickly played stupid. At least now he knew the next time Batman and he faced Poison Ivy or Harley Quinn all he'd need to do was fill their batarangs with mustard and ketchup. Maybe a little gravy, too.

Once Dick left, Wally had swiped the Special of the Week index card and greeted their waitress. A goofy grin was plastered across his face, but for the first time Dick had to debate who that grin was for_._ Bianca, their current waitress or…or _Dick._

He shut the bathroom door behind him, occupying the nearest stall he could find and ignoring any odd stares to the Gotham Academy badge pinned brightly to his breast pocket. Locking said stall shut, Dick grimaced as he peeled the uniform off, thoughts back on his best friend. Anything…_everything_ Wally had just said wasn't something he should have known. Not Wally's opinion of '_Rob'_, anyway. Actually, he wondered how long Wally was gonna keep constructing the lie that he had a good friend in Gotham, despite dropping said friend in favor of hanging out with Dick.

So, what? Dick huffed, cramming his blazer in a free pocket of his backpack and unbuttoning his shirt. He kicked off the annoying loafers and looked to his confined space. As Robin he was gonna have to hear about Dick, and as Dick he'd have to hear about Robin? Wally may have had a secret identity to protect, but he was breaking at least three of Batman's rules.

Which of course made this harder. He sighed with exasperation and rolled his eyes. And with freaking Batman having his _own_ cryptic messages, Dick didn't know if he was discouraged, encouraged, or still stuck at _couraged_ on the matter of telling his secret identity.

Not…that he would. Not now.

If he were to tell Wally that he was _Robin, Boy Wonder_, the guy would brutally murder him and never want to speak with him ever again. Kid and Robin may have been best friends, but relaceptive time made Kid's feelings deeper than they should have been. 'Love' and 'like' may have been two things Dick wasn't interested in, but if it was important to Wally, then it _had_ to be important to him. Knowing now that Dick and Robin were the same person meant the moment Wally found out, their relationship would never be the same. It would have been too tainted and you could only go so far with Wally before crossing the line.

_Ughh_. His comm.-link rang. Dick looked around, frown contorting his face, and he quickly attached it to his ear. "Robin present. Whatcha need?"

"_Dude._" Oh, you could _not _be serious. _"I'm at the diner. With_ Dick_**.**__" _

"So you decided to visit the current love of your life and leave your best friend hanging." In instinct, Dick snickered, tossing his head back as he struggled to pull his pants up. "I'm hurt."

"_Don't think too much of it—I gotta visit Papa Bats sometime this week anyway. Er, I've actually got some questions for you." _

"Don't you think it looks a little _weird_ if you're holding your ear in front of another guy and talking to yourself?"

"_Wh-What? Er, no. He went to the bathroom, I'm in the alley." _

Uh. "Why?"

"…_I'm scared." _

Silence. Dick blinked, buttoning the dress shirt Alfred insisted buying him and felt his jaw drop. Suddenly he laughed much louder than before, shoving his school uniform into his backpack. "_Hahaha_! You're _scared_? You're at a freaking _diner_ with the guy; I bet he's scared of what you're gonna end up ordering off the menu!"

"_Dude, I'm serious!_" Okay, Wally's voice had sped up. _"I…I mean…does this sort of count as our first date?" _

Robin nearly tripped and landed bottom-first in the toilet. His cheeks stained dark red, lips falling dry with shock. "_What_?"

"_God, there we go with the manners, Batboy! I'm freaking scared out of my mind and—"_

"What the heck makes you think this is a _date_?"

"_Dude, there are such things as __**unofficial first dates**_**, **_and this totally counts as one!"_ Judging by the light buzzing in the background, Dick could only guess that Wally started pacing back and forth. _"I mean…I _picked him up_ from school, we're _eating at a diner, _and…and we played _footsies…"

Footsies. "Oh, because footsies is so freaking intimate, Kid. What's next; you gonna play handsies? Elbowsies? _Eyesies?" _

"_So…you don't think he's interested in me." _

He was _so not_ playing footsies with his best friend—er, whatever that was. "Kid, I've taken you to this diner before, and we scared the crap out of one of the waitresses. The entire time, I _kicked_ you. I'm pretty sure out of anyone, you and I have played footsies more than Roy and Kaldur have _combined._"

"You_ kicking me under a freaking table does _not_ count as footsies, Bird Brain. You know what, never mind—he's _thirteen_, he probably doesn't even know that he's flirting."_ Dick was _totally_ not flirting! Um. Right? _"Why bring Roy into this?" _

"He's…been on my mind." It was a matter Dick still couldn't figure out. The fact Wally considered _Roy_ more of a best friend than him—_a brother_—was a deep blow to his pride. Then again, the speedster had also made a comment that they were even more than brothers. Was that _flattering _or offending?

"_Yeah, mine too, I guess. Hey, you hear any word from Supey?" _

Dick frowned. He leaned against the restroom stall, quickly checking if anyone had come through the room, then shook his head. "My guess is as good as any. You had to go back to Central City to rest, and I was called to deal with things in Gotham. Kaldur and Megan haven't said a word."

"_Bad news then, huh?"_ Duh. _"I'm pretty worried about his sake. Kara's a bit depressed too." _

Kara. For some reason the name made Dick's blood curdle the moment it left Wally's mouth. Funny thing was, whenever it involved Wally and Supergirl it was the _only_ time he'd get frustrated. The raven-haired teen wanted to punch a wall, just reminded of how he was too busy checking her out instead of just—just talking to _him._ "You're in contact with her?"

"_She stalked me all the way back to my house. Uh, dude—I gotta go now. Dick's probably back. Give you details on Wednesday." _

"Wednesday?"

"_Yup! That's when I'm seeing you. Kid, over and out."_ Wally was gone before Dick had the chance to say anything.

He quickly zipped his backpack, lunging out of the stall like a madman, and rushed through the door. Getting back to his seat, Wally's gaze was there to meet him. "Hey."

"Hey." Wally cracked a grin and gestured to the menu. "I had _no freaking clue_ what you liked, so I ordered a sausage and pepperoni pizza. Um, you're not allergic to sausage, right?"

And that would be the favorite pizza Robin and Kid Flash always ordered a year back after a brilliant partnership over one of their mentor's cases. Dick flashed a placid grin, stuffing his backpack on the inner part of the booth and shook his head. "I'd eat sausage all day if I could."

Wally choked on his drink.

Dick arched an eyebrow. "What?"

"N-Nothing." Awkwardly the older teenager ran a hand through his hair, face glowing bright red as his eyes looked anywhere but Dick's face. _That_ was weird. "Anyway, I…I was going to ask you…do you seriously do all of that? Mathletes, robotics, _and_ a school play?"

"Bruce likes me diverse." Dick shrugged nonchalantly, deciding to downplay all of his accomplishments. Instead he looked through his backpack and brought out the same math book he'd been paying attention to.

"Yeah but. You're in like, _what_, Grayson, algebra?"

"Algebra II. And captain of the Robotics Club." Dick bit back a snide comment that even as the adopted son of Bruce Wayne, he needed to receive the best education possible. Not to mention Batman's standards were so freaking high that he'd had his eskrima sticks taken away the last time he got lower than an '_A_' on his report card.

"I'm surprised then," Wally commented. He leaned closer and scooted the second drink closer to the redhead. "I mean, I'm taking as many science classes as I can this year. Physics is fun. Oh, the answer's four, by the way."

Dick halted from his math homework, looking over his proof quickly. Wally was right. Blue eyes narrowing to the drink, he wrapped a hand around its brim and took a sip. "Root beer." Root beer was his _favorite._ "How'd you know I liked root beer?"

"You bought one last time when we were hanging out at the park." A mischievous look flickered through the speedster's eyes and he looked back to the text book. "Did you convert the log into ln?"

"I thought you were a science wiz."

"A lot of math involved in physics. The basic stuff, anyway." Wally leaned back in his seat, and that was when Bianca the waitress came up to their table. She flashed a cheerful smile—and he said nothing in return. Instead, his eyes were at the food, mouth watering as Dick observed his best friend from the corner of his eye.

Did Wally seriously turn down the opportunity to flirt with a girl? Dick turned to Bianca, eyebrow raised to his hairline, and found her as disappointed and pouty as Shelly had looked. "Um."

"What?" Wally looked like a chipmunk saving nuts for the winter. He swallowed _disgustingly_, and a large lump traveled down his throat. "Sorry. Did you want this piece?"

"Weren't you going to flirt with her?" Dick blinked, taken aback, and watched with surprise as the redhead's cheeks swelled bright pink. They shared a look, blue eyes utterly confused and green merely playful. Dick wasn't quite sure what to say. "You flirted with Dani and Veronica the first time you saw them."

"I did?" Wally looked up in the air, as thoughtful as when trying to figure out who Bob Hopper was. Suddenly he shrugged, nonchalant as he pulled out his own physics book. "I uh, guess I saw you and decided they weren't as important."

Crappiest pickup line Dick had ever heard. So why was he trying not to let it get to him? He looked at the physics book, frowning while Wally contentedly began on his homework. "But that was Bianca."

"You know her?"

"Sort of." As Robin he'd saved her from one of the Riddler's annoying games a couple months back. Unlike Shelly, Bianca was sweet and extraordinarily kind. In fact, she looked disappointed when Wally wouldn't give her a second glance. And again as_ Robin, _Wally wouldn't hesitate hitting on any of the girls interacting with them. "How could you possibly be more interested in me when you had an, erm, _babe_ hitting on you?"

"No joke? She was hitting on me?" Wally arched an eyebrow, eyes following to Bianca. There we go. All he needed to do was flirt with Bianca when she came back to pay, and they'd all be back to normal. "Oh well." _What_? "Hey, since we're doing homework and stuff…you wanna go to the arcade afterward? Maybe a walk in the park?"

This seriously qualified as a first date? Not that Dick was complaining—he still didn't understand the difference between elbowsies and footsies. Suddenly, Dick jolted, feeling something nudge him in the shin. He kicked back, and—_whoa_, why was Wally's face turning pink?

"Um. Sure, I guess." Grabbing his pencil with the nearest hand, he scrutinized his work. So, Wally dropped the idea of flirting with some girl, and also thought this was a freaking unofficial first date. Great, just _great_. Disaster if he'd ever seen one.

"So…question?"

"I don't know much about physics."

"No, not _that_, but…"

Looking up again, Dick found himself the object of Wally's interests. He pressed his nails to his neck out of impulse, scalded by emerald green eyes. Wally was genuinely curious.

"The other few instances that I've seen you, you weren't wearing that school uniform. And…you're like, _always_ at the school whenever I see you. And, you're in all of these differentclubs, and you're a freaky genius kid." One of Wally's eyes was bigger than the other.

Dick counted on his fingers. "Dude, you've deduced four things and none of them were actually a question."

"I have? I _have._" Wally's eyebrows knit together firmly and he looked down to the pizza. What a surprise—half of it was actually still there. "What about…who are you?"

Dick laughed. Even Robin would have snickered in his face head, tossed behind him. "That's pretty blunt, don't you think?" And besides, Wally knew_ everything _there needed to know about him—his favorite color, favorite drink, the fact he _hated_ capes, how long, specifically, he allowed his bangs to grow out, otherwise they would cause him a hassle when leaping off buildings and catching superbaddies.

Apparently the redhead himself wasn't as convinced. Wally grinned, arching a playful eyebrow and nudged him in the leg again. For a split second, Dick felt Robin seeping through, and he instinctively pushed at Wally's foot. "Answer the question, _pleasepleaseplease_?"

"Deductions aren't questions, smart one." Nonetheless he took a second debating if it was really right for him to disclose this information. There was still a line that separated Robin and Dick... He was playing Robin under Dick's guise, but also had the liberty of…just being Dick_._ Telling a truth Robin could never tell. "First off, I'm not some freaky genius kid."

Actually, he was just a circus kid that happened to get lucky when Bruce Wayne the Empathizer just so happened to be watching his last performance as an acrobat. Pushing the sensitive thought aside he continued as Wally hilariously clung to every word.

"Bruce is both a businessman and a party boy, but he doesn't always mix business with pleasure. Believe it or not, the guy can be a big teddy bear." He still had theories that the Bat came into his room after patrol just to tuck him in. "When you get adopted by the CEO of one of the biggest corporations in the world and are the only son, you're kind ofexpected to be the heir to the fortune. The likelihood Brucie pulls an Angelina Jolie and adopts like, three or four different other kids is—well, depending the reason, he might."

There was a specific reason why Bruce had adopted _him_, but Dick pitied any kid who would have to lose his parents due to crime. Besides, he lucked out with _Robin._ Ostrich, Peacock and Woodpecker would end up killing their adoptive dad.

"Bruce Wayne pulling a Brangelina," Wally hummed, amusement teeming in his expression. "Somehow if he does, I wouldn't be too surprised."

"_Please_, it would mean having to call _shotgun_ every time we went out." He so freaking had dibs on the Batmobile in three years. Future dibs. Ostrich, Peacock, and Woodpecker would just have to suck it up. Dick held up a second finger. "So I'm not a freaky genius kid. I've just been forced into the best education possible. Which answers point two: I'm in as many clubs as I can fit into my schedule without overworking myself. Bruce…Bruce wants to put me through a good college."

Wally arched an eyebrow. "Isn't that a bit early to be thinking about your future?"

"Bruce adopted me when I was eight."

"Oh."

"You always see me in school because I'm busy with clubs." Though there _were_ times where Bruce couldn't get out of a meeting and Robin ended up going solo to save some old lady's purse. Occasionally he had to bail, but Batman enviously made up for Robin's part of the Dynamic Duo when Dick couldn't be present. "Math Club, Environmental Science Club, Robotics Club—one day of the week just for Dick Grayson. The whole theatre thing is just new to my list—and the only activity where no one is allowed to dress out of the school uniform. Otherwise, I'd be out of it in a heartbeat. I _hate_ the uniform."

Not to mention the fact he had to gel his hair like Bruce every morning before he went out. Ugh.

"Rich boys gone wild. How…entertaining." Wally smiled and leaned back in his seat, eyes shining with amusement. "And cute."

Dick rolled his eyes and kicked the redhead under the table. He took a cold slice of pizza, realizing they'd spent half an hour together now, and Bruce had still yet to call him. What a lucky day. Or unlucky. Then again, what did you call it when you weren't lucky or unlucky? Hm, he needed to look into that. "I'm just about done with my homework. You?"

"Nah. Just got started on it." Wally checked his watch and said nothing. He was probably going to go through his homework at light speed later anyway. "But if you're done, then I can be done. I kind of wanna talk about this play with you anyway."

"You mentioned earlier that you were taking plenty of science courses." It had been something not even Robin could understand. He leaned forward against the table, eyebrow arched. "Why? You're only a fifteen, right?"

A perplexed look suddenly crossed the other teenager's face. Dick recognized it as a face Bruce would almost _never_ have when someone like Ms. Selina Kyle or Catwoman stumped him on the double life. Not only that, but Wally still had some of the residue leftover from when Dick had asked him the difference between Roy and Rob. "The Flash is my greatest hero."

"Really? Not _Kid Flash_?" He could understand the sentiment, but Wally an ego the size of Texas.

"Hmm. You just keep finding questions to stump me, Grayson." Wally cocked an eyebrow of his own and crossed his arms. "I used to live in a small town called Blue Valley, and I _hated_ it there. My parents never paid attention to me and the only person who seemed to understand me was my Aunt Iris. She was about to get married to this really boring guy, my Uncle Barry, and…then I got to meet my hero."

"So Flash was already your hero," Dick speculated, only half interested. He looked back to his work, expecting some fanboy squeal and much jumping. Cryptic language won again. Wootwoot.

"Yeah." Wally's voice softened, an edge of vulnerability hidden through layers of wit and sarcasm. Dick was met with the giddiest smile he'd ever seen on the teenager sport. Not even _pie_ got him that excited. "The guy represents everything I've ever wanted to be as a person. Mom always ragged on me for being a pathetic student, and no matter how I tried in school, Dad never thought I did good enough. So they…gave up on me. Aunt Iris, Uncle Barry—and—and the _Flash_ were the first people to look at me without _judging _me. Flash and Uncle Barry use science in their everyday life. I think the least I can do is the same."

Oh. Emotional moment. Suddenly Dick felt awkward and like scum, having shrugged his best friend off and thinking it wasn't serious. It made sense now, what Wally tried to explain earlier about the difference between Roy and Rob. Every time Robin and KF met, he'd see the fun, spastic side of his best friend. Most of the serious problems probably went to Roy—such as Wally's family life. He was also a bit deterred—why would Wally tell Dick, a guy he'd known only _two weeks_ something he wouldn't tell Robin, someone the speedster knew two _years_? Wally mentioned that his parents were never there when it '_counted_.' That was it.

Realizing he'd zoned out and Wally was now giving him another widespread look of panic, Dick snapped out of his thoughts and looked up. "Um, sorry."

"Y-You're fine." An almost-inaudible sigh of relief escaped Wally's throat and he leaned back in his seat just in time for the banana split brownie pizza to be served again by Bianca. This time Wally seemed to notice and even grinned. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Her eyes flickered with a mischief Dick wasn't sure he liked. "You boys better eat it all."

Dick clung to her hand before she could break away. "No one spit in this, right?"

Bianca gave her a knowing look, eyes darting between Wally and him before gently tugging the boy three feet away from Wally, who was ogling the brownie pizza. A smile spread across her lips. "Trust me. Shells would be the only one to _ever_ spit in that food, and she's been tied up. You have those notes from algebra?"

Dick grinned. Robin may have saved Bianca from the baddies, but _Dick_ had her in his algebra class. Just because he was supposedly the golden boy of Gotham Academy's eighth grade didn't mean he wasn't forced to skip grades for certain classes. Best Wally didn't think he was more of a nerd than he himself did. "You want them now or for me to swing by later?"

"Swing by later." She matched his grin, and eyed Wally. "So…he's…?"

"Single. And taken. It's complicated." With a lighthearted shrug, Dick crossed his arms. "Oh, _god_, don't give me that look."

"But Shelly says that he's—"

"He's _bi._" And apparently totally had a creepy crush on him. Dick shivered, feeling heat tingle in his ears, and pressed against the booth.

Bianca's eyes widened three times their size. "So that means you're—"

"No."

"Oh. Then that makes you—"

"I dunno. Bee, I'm _thirteen_, I could care less about whether or not I'm dating someone." He quickly lowered his voice, hoping Wally wouldn't take it as a sign that he was either gay or straight. After all, Batman always told him to have a plan, and he'd pull the 'I'm totally in love with Alexa' card when they were done eating. And he was still bothered by Wally's little glances, needed to look up the definition behind 'footsies,' and…couldn't shake the tingly feeling his best friend's smile was giving him.

"Oh. Well, you know everyone in algebra is supportive of whatever decision you make, Dick."

"Only because I'm the only one who understands logarithms." Dick smirked with amusement, casually stuffing his hands in his pockets and again keeping an eye on Shelly. She'd snuck a glance or two at Wally, who apparently was too enthralled with food to care. "I'm only thirteen."

"Age isn't an excuse, but whatever." Bianca arched an eyebrow, eyes following Wally's form as the boy ate like a pig and sighed blissfully. "But the moment you break up with him, give him my number."

"Oh, gross." He seriously did not want to hear about Wally cootying with anyone. Or even cooty with the guy. Dick rolled his eyes, grimacing at the thought before mumbling a goodbye. He returned to the table—only to see that Wally had eaten all of the brownie pizza.

"Um." Wally grinned sheepishly, waving both his physics homework and the last little crumb in the air. "Sorry, I kind of got carried away. Do you wanna order a new one?"

"Nah. I've…" Dick shrugged, eyes darting back to his backpack. Today he had learned two big secrets about his best friend—two Wally had never—_and probably never would_—tell Robin. Roy had justification because he was the big brother (something Dick did understand, but as of lately, Kaldur was filling out that role while Red Jerk did whatever he wanted) and probably already knew all of these secrets. "I've lost my appetite."

"Was it something I said?" Immediately the smile faded, Wally jumping into the air and grimaced. "I'm sorry."

"Dude, _relax._ You haven't said anything to me." Just…everything Robin wasn't supposed to know. Dick arched an eyebrow. Really, Wally rarely ever watched what he said to a person; shamelessly flirting with Miss M whenever the chance arose, calling out Superboy to crack jokes, and challenging Kaldur to a race overwater. He'd gotten so many cracks about his age through the years Wally had been his best friend that he could probably build a circus out of them. "Why are you so hung up on whatever I say to you?"

"I just…" And there they had it. Wally turned bright red, and Robin was wondering what was so freaking _special _about Dick that his best friend was so flustered. Love didn't make sense. "I just need to be. Trust me."

Seeing as Wally was troubled and he hated watching the redhead depressed, Dick suppressed a sigh, forcing one of his smiles instead, and grabbed his backpack. "Don't be. You mentioned something about the play?"

"Yeah." The redhead gulped, stuffing his physics book tightly in his backpack before sliding out the booth. He left a considerable amount of money on the table. "Arcade is a bit loud. You wanna just…walk?"

Being a hero kind of made sitting still a hard job. Dick nodded briskly, memorizing the mustard and ketchup stains one more time before heading toward the exit. Just like when they entered, Wally took three steps ahead and opened the door for him.

"So, I'm actually not too sure about this whole Eros and Psyche thing." Wally wiggled his eyebrows in that ridiculous manner, casted arm buried close to his person. "What's the story about?"

"_Eros and Psyche_? Dude, they go down in history as one of the godliest couples ever." Dick gave a pointed look. "No pun intended."

"I only know the basics when it comes to the Gods." Shrugging, Wally stuffed his free hand in a pocket. "So tell me."

"We're butchering it a bit." And because of some occasional team ups with Wonder Woman, Dick knew far too vividly the sex lives of most of the gods. Ick. At least this way, Dick could break the news to his best friend without having to obnoxiously bring it up. It'd seem suspicious if he just forced it in Wally's face. Er, supposedly. "Taking most of the naughty scenes out—"

Wally snickered.

"—and making it pretty gushy." They stopped for a moment, and Dick pulled out the script from his backpack. "Eros and Psyche is a story of how Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, orders Eros to kill Psyche. He can't bring himself to do it—and so they start meeting in…secret." This story was starting to sound a wee bit familiar. "She…doesn't know who he really is, but he knows _everything_ about her. He falls in love with her, while also living a double life playing Eros, the God of Love, and Psyche's lover."

"Sounds cutesy." Wally flipped casually through the script. "Happily ever after?"

"We _are_ a middle school, Kid." Crap. Dick looked to Wally and tried to slow down his heart.

Wally snorted. "Kid? I'm _older_ than you, dork."

"Go figure." Dick nervously ran a hand through his hair as they continued the walk to the park. He explained the rest of the story—all of Psyche's jealous sisters told her not to trust Eros, then Psyche betrayed him, but they somehow managed to live happily ever after. Other than the whole, 'falling in love' part on his side, karma was being pretty cruel. Of _course_ he had to be the one to play Eros—he was the only kid their age that hadn't sprouted that extra three inches and could actually fit the costume.

"Nice script." Wally tossed it back across the table. "But you kept making faces through it all. Do you seriously want to do this play?"

"I was the only one who could fit the costume," Dick grumbled. Suddenly he beamed again, and looked up, noting green eyes were currently occupied with a fountain crested with the Bat symbol. It had been made before Bruce gained a partner. "And…I sorta did it to impress a girl."

That caught Wally's attention. "Really?"

God, why was his heart beating so loudly? He couldn't hear his ownthoughts_._ Dick pretended to look through all the pages he'd have to memorize for their rehearsal next week and tried to act as shy as possible. "You…remember the Als that I was talking to? Alexander and Alexa?"

"Y…Yeah…" Wally's voice had completely shifted, an obliqueness visible that wasn't there before. "The one with the red hair and freckles, right?"

"Alexa's like, my best friend." Which sort of wasn't a lie. Alexa was _Dick Grayson's_ best friend while Wally was Robin's. Like he'd seen in many cartoons and movies, Dick began digging into concrete with his foot. "But she doesn't see me as anything more than her friend, so…I auditioned for the role of Eros and ended up getting it. I get to spend as much time with her as I possibly can now."

"I see."

"But…I don't exactly know what to say to her." Dick doubted his voice was soft enough. His heart beat louder, causing his head to throb in overbearing pain while Wally _still wouldn't look at him._ "A-And you're older, so I figure you'd have more experience with girls than I do."

"…yeah."

"So you'll help me?" Success. Wally no longer thought of him as a love interest, and he'd _promised_ to Robin that he'd take it slow and lay off if Dick turned out to be straight. He could report to Bruce of a job well done.

Only…now Wally wasn't talking.

Dick blinked. When he didn't get an answer, he slowly walked up to his best friend, concern fluttering across his features. It was simple, wasn't it? Falling in and out of love couldn't have been anymore easy as getting Wally off his back as a future not-boyfriend. "Wally?" No answer. _Oh god, oh god, oh god—_he changed the subject, instead trying to find something Dick-like to say while Wally wouldn't look him in the eye. "U-Um. Who's Kara?"

Wally looked up. But seriously, did it have to be Kara's name that got a reaction out of him? That was annoying. "Kara?"

Resisting the urge to shrug, Dick pointed to the four signatures instead. "Iris West, Barry Allen and Kaldur. You've had those names before, but…Kara's new."

"Oh." Contemplative, green eyes scanned his cast carefully. Dick waited with worry, unsure what was gonna happen. Wally was never able to keep his mouth shut for more than a second, and he'd never actually seen the redhead angry. _Bummed_, as Wally had put it—but nothing more. Wally didn't get upset over things or brood. "My girlfriend."

"_What_?" That came out with more emotion than he meant to. Blue eyes widening in shock, Dick recomposed himself, shoving Robin far in the crevasses of his mind and tried to keep himself from growing annoyed.

"Well, not exactly." Wally apparently dropped the subject with ease, standing from his previous position and snatched the script out of Dick's hand. "So, what is it that I'm helping you with?"

Dick was still too stunned to speak. He reformulated the plan, then remembered specifically: Wally had referred to Supergirl as _Kara_ over the comm.-link, too. _What the heck happened to being all footsies and elbowsies with __**him**__? _Brain going numb, he looked back to the script, unable to stare his best friend in the face and seethed. "Just…recite some of the lines with me. You be Psyche, so I can know at least be whelmed when I see her."

"Uh. Okay." Wally flipped through the book and landed idly on one page. There was a pause, long fingers running down the book before he spoke with a high falsetto. "Shall I ever know you by your real name?" He didn't know if Wally was grinning or not. It kinda sounded forced.

"No, my beloved. You would hate me more, if you were to know my real name_." _If he wasn't still mad about the whole Supergirl thing, he'd so puke.

"That I highly doubt. I do not even know your face."

"Secrets are meant to be kept for a reason, my beloved."

Wally snorted. "My bosom bursts with love whenever I see you, my beloved. I…I love you."

"I wish to tell you everything, my dearest. No—I cannot, but indeed. I love you too." Silence. Dick looked through the book again, frowning as he looked through the lines. Really, what idiot wrote something so poetic and disgusting? There weren't even any _real words_ like aster or whelmed in there! "I think this guy was off his rocker when he wrote this." There wasn't a response. "Wally?"

Suddenly concerned of his best friend's wellbeing, Dick looked up. He was met by a kiss.

**xxxxxx**

**Author's Note: **

So did you understand Wally's little explanation about "Rob isn't my brother, he's my best friend"? Basically he's putting it out there that Robin's really close to him, but not as a brother, or a cousin or anything. So if he's not close because he's like family, then…in what way is Robin important to him? C': Anyway, there are a couple things that I've wanted to comment on: on the sake of keeping Robin's personality right, I really wanted to keep his habit of making words—and I've planned ahead already.

Would you guys want a "thesaurictionary" at the bottom of each author's note translating the words he put together? And, I'm surprised no one's commented on the fact Artemis hasn't showed up yet. She's been mentioned a lot in passing after all. I'm also going to remind you that this story will be ridiculously long, so I hope you're prepared for it. Also, I apologize if he's kind of exhibiting some Tim Drake behavior (though maybe I'm the only one who thinks I am), but I really tried to play up Dick's struggle between life as Dick Grayson and his duty to Batman as Robin. Thanks for reviews!

_Preview: "I remember this. You made Robin cry so Wally kicked you in the shin."_


	8. Brothers

**Inkfriends **Hehe. As I reply to this now I can't help but feel a little molested. xD In a funny way, of course. **Kawaiibookworm **Haha, I hope you enjoy this chapter. C': **HInaLuvLuvChan **This chapter mostly puts everything into perspective. …I hope. :D;; **OrangeSpiral **Hehe; You'll have to wait and see, because it is the most epic thing I will _ever_ get to write. C': **La Loba de Mibu **There are a lot more parallels that can be drawn from it; honestly. I'm just a little curious that if I didn't point the irony out in the story whether or not any of the readers would catch it. xD; Maybe it's better that Dick did so he can have a , "Buddhist monks, why are you shoving karma in my face?" moment. Updates are every Friday! C: **LolitaRobin **Haha. I wanted to try for ridiculous names, and one that came up with Sparrow. …Then I imagined Stephanie as a giddy sparrow and decided it was too epic. ;A; **vudupins **Haha; that's very flattering of you to say, thank you very much. C': **Lilac Rose6 **I dunno; does Wally have it figured out? We'll just have to wait and see; hehehe. You were um. Miffed in a good way though, right? xD **ChikaraDesu **Does he know? Oh, I don't know. C': **leisurestars **I'm sure it's a lesson Bruce Wayne will have to teach his ward one day: "How to be a player." Ehehehe. **Ellia-chan **That's fantastic. xD I was hoping someone would get the reference. **Sillysimms123 **I think you'll like this chapter. C': **TheNotedMusician **Haha; updates are once a week and on every Friday; Saturday at the latest and late Thursday night if I feel bored. And thanks very much for the review! **LorelaitheHiden **B'aww, I'm not that mean. Just practicing how to do cliffhangers since I'm so bent out of shape with 'em. C': **Bacontheft **Snap crackle pop? **Occultus Reproba **Haha; for the moment I think Dick is having an identity crisis; I'm hoping people catch that specifically in the story since some people seem to be confused. **Ryssa1457 **Nah, it's never bothersome to stroke a writer's work. Hehe; I'm always flattered and giggly whenever I read them anyway. C': **BAM **And I'm pretty sure this wins favorite (or most memorable) review of the stack. xD Keep your thought on foreshadowing; I recommend it. There are certain…_boundaries_ I'm hesitant to cross way later in this story; but Wally could probably be a good excuse. Too bad I plan on Dick just being…well, confused and the excuse. Working out the story I originally thought of going with a well-known play like Romeo and Juliet or A Midsummer's Night Dream, but it didn't feel appropriate or fit the story. xD Eros and Psyche in a roundabout way just seemed to work; but I'm not exactly a scriptwriter. Tried for Scarlet Letter. Also hated that book, so I revolted in the middle of writing those lines. Now, the length of this story? I can honestly tell you that I'm in the middle of writing a story—long and drawn out and complex—and got a little bored. xD The story itself isn't going to last incredibly long; probably end in the twenties. It'll reach 100K+, but I'm not planning to make them break up, get together, break up, get together—oh, look, Dick just became Nightwing—BREAKUP, get together—oh look, WHOA WHO'S THAT GUY UNDER THE REDHOOD—break up, get together, break up, get together. It'll highlight some points; and others it'll just cross out depending on how well it blends into the story. I already have the ending planned; I just…need to plan out the middle? Eheh. **Swirlhearty23 **Hehe. This soon enough for you? **Chopasticka **DAT ASS. Um. I think? Hehe. **Shay-chama **You print out my stories to read during lectures? xD …buy an ipod, save it in a document, and email it to yourself. It's convenient, portable, and saves a lot of trees. Dick's personality will…be fun. Ehehe. **Bobcat4791 **Haha; thank you very much for the review! **Pocky of NyaNyaLand **For some reason? I think we all know why that line was epic. Ehehee. I think you're pretty spot-on about how I'm portraying Dick; it's fun and interesting. xD **puppyet-with-a-gunXD **Haha. It exploded inside-out? **White-Tainted-Red **Well, I see where the confusion starts in the other chapters; it's kind of odd and out of place, but it's not exactly like I can go back and rewrite them. C': It would feel like I was cheating, and I'm also experimenting when it comes to this style of writing; so. Practice maeks perfect? **AsukiHigamashi **I think I mostly made it up; but I might have adapted it from my love of Bart/Tim from the comics. Hehe. **Small J **Haha; like I said earlier. Was planning on Romeo and Juliet or Midsummer's Night Dream; but they seemed too common, too overused, and not…_them._ And channeled Scarlet Letter—before revolting against it. AP English reading = sob. **Chasing **I take it you see the dis over the aster? C': **hay1lin **Haha, thank you very much for the review! **Loko **You can save it if you want; it's not like FF doesn't allow you to. C': But you've got my permission if you're searching for it. Haha; Wally's just that deep in love—and he wants to make sure he doesn't overstep a boundary Dick isn't ready for. C': HE'S SO SWEET. **Alluring Alliteration **Haha; hotdorable felt like a weak attempt on my part. So. I used it for Wally because he's always just "…okay…?" whenever Robin uses him. xD Shows how one majors in English; the other in science? **Silly **By the Gods of Aster? Haha; a little together? We'll see now, won't we? **Lillythemarshmellowqueen **I'm actually not a big fan of writing cliffhangers. xD Done well, they can be overdone. If you type "thesaurictionary" into google—it immediately finds my story. Eheeheehee. **Loony **I don't think it's that simple. xD; **LockedKeys **Haha; we'll just see now, won't we? **Pamellka **Haha, glad you like it sweetheart. C': **r a a i n **I'd throw a fit if I had to be a woodpecker. That's just like. An _awful _name, man. xD For many reasons. **Just A Girl With A Keyboard **Haha; the warm fuzzies will come. Eventually. After they get tortured a bit. C': **VampirePrinssess **I'm…neutral? **Chibi-Roy-Chan **Haha; we'll see how this turns out. C': **Karma Killer 11 **Haha, thank you very much; everything's tying together very nicely, in my opinion. **XxFallingxAngelxX **My only problems with making new words is that I feel like I'm just writing portmanteaus than antonyms for him. xD; S'fun, and interesting. And it goes with his character, so I feel rightfully obligated to do that part justice. **BubbleFairy03 **Haha. That is a very good point. C': …which will be acted upon around seven chapters later into the story. C': I think Bruce is just "Uh…" for mosts nowadays having to raise a teenage boy. Hehe. **Muu-latte **Haha; that's good. C': **XxRazorgirlxX **I try not to look incredibly into slash. xD Devote my life to it or anything. **HeyBabySoBad **Haha; I hope you like this chapter! **Chocolatelover1 **Haha; the preview was interesting. I'm tempted to expand on it. xD **Jennii12345 **Haha; that won't happen for a while. xD Trust me. C': **Kanjecture **Haha; that's a little bit over the top but thank you very much for saying that. It's flattering. xD **Nonny **There's a sentence, actually, that states that Dick grabbed the waitress by the arm and pulled her three feet away from the table. Soemthing like that. If that's not what you're referring to, then I don't really know. I'd also rather not explicitly state everything; it's kind of a writing style that I'm testing out solely for this story. Ain't perfection, but if it were perfection then it wouldn't be practice. C': **Raikimluva22 **Meh. xD **Timetopanic101 **Haha, thank you very much. C': That's an. Interesting sound. xD **KATAANGFOREVERanEVER **Thank you very much; that's flattering. C:

**Brothers. **

He ran.

There were probably seventy-kajillion thoughts running through Wally's mind when he ended up in their current position. Anger. Jealousy. Annoyance. Disappointment—a-and, a line of duty. He promised Robin, after all, that if it turned out Dick was straight, then he was going to leave the boy alone and move on. Finding out Dick was like any typical teenage boy with hormones who liked some girl named Alexa—_the one with green eyes and red hair_—hit him hard though. _Really hard_. His mind quickly concluded after the blow below the belt: _Okay. Then that 'race' with Supergirl can totally work._

Then they started talking. It totally wasn't the lines—his falsetto wasn't even that good. But after thought sixty-nine-kajillion, his mind went into relapse experiencing every possible form of heartbreak out there. Disappointment, jealousy, irritation—denial, lack of self-confidence (and you seriously had to rack him a few times for that one to hurt), and—he saw Dick's face. He saw the curvature of a defining jaw, the firm hairline that served as the melding point between hair and forehead, and those eyes—those breathtakingly gorgeous bright blue eyes that took all attention away from the freaking _sky_, god they were beautiful.

And he kissed him. It was impulsivebehavior, and the moment he pressed his lips against Dick's, Wally just felt giddy. Thirty kabillion thoughts ran through his head—Dick's lips were chapped, his frame was tiny, and in that badass dress shirt, he looked _freaking adorable_. But unlike any other approach Wally had with any girl or the only other guy he'd been with (which lasted like, a whole ten minutes), Dick wasn't kissing back. Shitshitshit—because he remembered, _Dick was thirteen. _And_ straight. _

Oh, shit.

"Oh…my…Iamsosorry." So Wally ran. He could feel the blood tingling in his cheeks; an adherent warmth that pricked his skin, but as flushed as he felt from gaiety, he could also feel himself panic and turn _blue_. The first thoughts were clear in his head after the stupid realization hit: _Run. Run __**now.**_

Wally was out of Gotham in less than a minute, across the harbor into Metropolis and ready to stop running—but he couldn't. His feet kept moving, and the thought reeled like an old movie in his head. _He kissed Dick. He kissed Dick. __**Omigod HE KISSED DICK. **_

"Not good, not good, not good—" Wally couldn't remember the last time he freaked out when kissing someone. Barry was right—Dick was different. His hormones weren't nearly this bad whenever it came to his last girlfriend, and his supercharged thinking was interfering at a hyper-accelerated level. He was experiencing feelings in relative time. Dick wasn't—oh, _god_. Wally kept running, body having yet to grow tired—he ran faster. _Faster, faster, faster_—what the hell. _Why_ did he have to kiss Dick? _Why_ did Dick has to look so, so _kissable_?

Dick didn't…_look_ like he hated him. Wally saw bright blue eyes staring at him, _stunned_ and probably still processing everything—and for once, he wished he didn't have super speed. If he didn't have super speed, all of the 'logical' thoughts wouldn't have gone through his head and he totally wouldn't have kissed the guy he'd only known for a week and a half. But—but, _a week and a half felt like a freaking two months_. It felt _right._

His feet were still pounding the ground as he passed Kansas. The world passed by, too slow as the speedster kept running. He—he wasn't sure if he'd ever run this fast in his _life_, and the fucking thought that came along with it was the fact he was running _away. _Dirt made a cloud behind him, and over-and-over he went through the thoughts. There was _no way_ he could ever go back to Gotham. He couldn't stare the city in the face and not think of naïve, _shy_ little Dick, who—who didn't even know he was _gay_—oh crap.

A buzzing shot through his head. Wally bit the inside of his lip, briskly feeling every molecule tingle with forthcoming pain. He needed to slow down. Dick needed to be in the back of his mind, otherwise—well, honestly he didn't know. But upping his speed in a race with Supergirl—a _harmless race_, at that—made his body collapse inside-out, the first time. Doing it a second time when it supposedly wasn't harmless could end badly for him.

The second buzzing to get his attention was his cell phone. Wally put it to his ear.

"_Slow down." _

"How do you know I'm running?" Wally thought to a different matter, heart capturing most of his breath as he tried to come up with a proper conclusion. "Scratch that. How do you know where the hell I am? _I _don't even know where the hell I am."

Roy was rolling his eyes on the other side. He just knew it. _"I bugged you last time I saw you since you're an idiot who thought he could take on the Joker. You're approaching Star City in the next mile." _

"I am?" He passed a sign shining flamboyantly, _'Welcome to Star City!_' "Er, oh. I am."

"Star City University. Meet me at the student union."

Seriously? He was already freaking out about Dick, and Wally was _terrible_ with directions. Not being able to find a freaking building with letters bigger than all of Gotham shining, _Wayne Tech_ was proof of that.

…but despite being crazy in the head, Roy was Roy, and Wally really meant it when he told Dick the other redhead was like a big brother.

"Okay," he mumbled. Coming to a gradual stop, his body trembled with painful adrenaline as he directed what was left over of his speed toward Star City University. Robin and he had only been there once—when Roy begrudgingly requested help moving into his new apartment.

With the last of September's heat, SCU still looked pretty with blooming trees and leaves that were slowly changing color to welcome October. To go with the whole stupid star thing, he had no doubt the entire university was constructed in the shape of a five-pointed star. Wally treaded through the gates, ignoring any odd stares he received for being a little sophomore in No Kid's Land and looked around. It was only four. Roy probably snuck out of class or something to call him. Or—or, didn't even have class.

He looked around, stomach churning with each passing second before locating a large building that didn't look all school-related. Sort of. Pushing through the mass of students (_seriously, was he still shorter than all of them?),_ the scent of burritos, cheeseburgers, and sub sandwiches caught his nostrils. Food. Everyone who knew him by now regarded Wally in the fact that he _could not_ resist food.

That little logic pushed him further, and he caught a glimpse of red hair.

Er, just as that red hair caught glimpse of _him._ Roy tore away from his conversation with some super pretty brunette, and his smile quirked slightly. He gestured for Wally to come forward.

"Erm." Well, this was a surprise. Wally looked between all of them, deflating from what he looked like to how _they _looked. Sweaters. Sweater vests, really expensive clothes, and icky studious glasses that totally looked hot on that brunet girl. Even Roy looked older than some teenager, and most of that went into his arms.

"He's a cutie, Roy," said one of the girls. She squealed, reaching out from her seat at the armchair and tugged on Wally's cheek. Um, _ow._ If he totally wasn't freaking out and thinking incorrectly he would have totally fanboyed. "Your brother?"

"You see me with freckles?" Roy was smiling. Oh god, there was a _smile_ on Roy's face, and he nudged Wally in the arm. There hadn't been a smile on Roy's face since they met two years ago—when Roy was sixteen and Wally was thirteen. "You could say he's like my kid brother. Barely get to see him, so I told him to drop by since he's go—"

"I kissed someone!" Oh, crap. "Who's a boy!" Double crap. "A-And he's thirteen!" He really needed to learn how to keep his mouth shut.

Had it not been his current situation, the buzzing in his head and—wow, he was _really tired for some reason_—the fact Roy's face changed three different colors, he would have seen the quick sternness of Spee—_Red Arrow_ morph through the teenager's face, followed by a quirked eyebrow. Roy opened his mouth to say something—and couldn't.

Knowing his own stupidity, Wally sat like an obedient dog next to one of Roy's friends. He stared, eyes never leaving the sight of his other best friend as Roy tried to register what the other redhead just said. Wally had a feeling he wasn't going to like the answer.

Two of Roy's six friends held unreadable grins, exchanging looks and the other four sympathetically anticipated an answer from the older redhead. Wally bit his lip, knowing that if he didn't hold his tongue he'd blab something else that he would later regret.

Finally Roy cleared his throat, and gestured to him. "This is Wally. Wally, these are my friends from college."

"Hey." Wally waved.

"Hi," they all responded in unison.

The same brunette Roy had been talking to stood up, followed by the rest of her friends. "Roy, obviously you and your little brother need to talk about something. So when you're done, we'll meet you in the library for our study group."

"_Right_." Suddenly Roy's tone dropped three octaves, narrowing in a manner you would never see unless Red Arrow was interrogating a captive. However, the older teenager only rolled his eyes, and once his study group was out of sight, he grabbed Wally by his good arm and tugged them in some northern direction. "What happened to your old cast?"

"It. Um. Exploded." Wally looked over Roy's shoulder nervously, eyebrows furrowing with worry as they continued, but decided not to question it. Wherever the hell Roy thought convenient to take him, then Roy would take him. Though he _was_ a little offended that they came to a place where he could get as much food as he wanted—and _not get any_, Roy apparently didn't make it top priority. He would have been silent, too, if the younger redhead wasn't so spastically nervous. "So those were your college buddies?"

"As chummy as you can get." Roy's smile had disappeared, but an underlining hint of concern and annoyance sprinkled in his tone. He released Wally's hand, looking to the younger teen from the corner of his eye, and they walked, Wally peddling slowly after the other redhead.

They got onto the first bus they saw, and before Wally managed to get out what little money he had, Roy paid for both of them. Going to the first pair of seats spotted, Wally scooted into a corner and checked his watch. It was barely six back in Central City, but Barry would get on his case once he returned. And if it was six in Central, then it must have been eight at Gotham. He swallowed hard and groaned.

Roy arched an eyebrow. "I'll order pizza."

"No. Not hungry." And they'd had pizza over at Flo's before…_that_ happened. _Woe was this speedster_, he moaned, the back of his hand pressed to his forehead.

"If you're going to do that before we get to the apartment, I'm going to shove something down your throat to shut you up."

"_Don't joke like that_! The last time you shoved something down my mouth I couldn't talk for a week!" Wally tossed a glare to the older redhead and shivered. Needless to say he now knew how to vibrate an arrow out of his throat if Darkseid ever decided to get kinky.

"You were loud and annoying."

"You wouldn't talk to me! And then you laughed!"

Roy snorted, looking away with much indifference. College students that rode the bus looked back and forth, fascinated expressions gleaming. Suddenly feeling playful, Wally grinned, wishing his Boy Wonder in Crime was there so they could find some other way to one-up their once best friend. A small smile etched Roy's lips, probably relieved. It wasn't a surprise—hanging around Roy generally made Wally less tense. Odd, considering the dude always had an arrow stuck up his ass.

"Do I get a tour of the campus from the big man himself?"

"I'm not that big."

"Dude, your arms are gargantuan." Wally looked to his own arms, frowning. Roy was a bodybuilder in the making, and radiated with an authority even leaguers would kill for. Maybe in a couple years, Rob would look the same way Roy did considering the whole, _they_ _were only human _thing.

Though in all honesty now that he thought about it, Roy was big and taut. Robbie was _unbelievably flexible_ and pushed his body to a new limit with each second, performing stunts that would put circuses to shame. There was a certain slender physique to Robin's stature most thirteen-year-olds didn't have that you couldn't get from football, swimming, basketball, or track, for that matter. Even before the whole chemical spill Wally had been one of the fastest kids in their grade, but his dad always dubbed it as '_running away_,' and he didn't get even half the muscle mass Rob had now.

Robin had muscles, but he threw his own weight around rather than lifting tons like Roy probably did. The thought of Robin ending up as large and bulky as Batman made Wally want to laugh.

"We're here."

"We are? O-Oh, we are." Wally snapped out of his thoughts, pushing off the bus and pressing his cast close to his stomach as they exited onto a bus stop. He suddenly swayed, mind boggling in a different array of thoughts, and felt really tired again. Roy pressed a hand to the small of his back, no questions asked. He didn't _normally_ get this tired when it came to running.

"What happened to your sling?" They entered a tall, fancy building where the lobby smelled like fruitcake.

"Um," Wally mumbled. God, why did his head hurt? "I…I…my arm's recovering faster than they expected, so…I don't need to wear it as much. Only three more weeks and then I can take it off."

When did they end up in the elevator? Passing more college students and some elderly folks, Roy pressed a button and left only them in the tiny space. The third floor couldn't come fast enough. "Tell me what happened when we get to the apartment."

"I think you got a vivid explanation whenever we were in the union-thingy, Roy." _Ugh, if there was ever a time he could take medicine to force this groggy headache down_. The elevator pinged loudly, deafening his eardrums as somehow, Roy dragged him down the hall to a familiar apartment marked 3D.

Wally took one look, noting that like a couple weeks back when the place was empty, Roy had kept his lifestyle simple. One loveseat, a couch and an arm chair, wooden floors, some lamps—and what the hell, a freaking annoying _Wayne-Tech_ fridge, fingerprint reader included, and what was apparently a few boxes of cereal. Simple TV, no pictures on the wall, and no souvenir collection. _Who_ went through life without a souvenir collection?

Wait. Wally looked around, suddenly ignoring whatever Roy was talking about in favor of going into the other redhead's bedroom. His eyes fell to the nightstand and suddenly his yearn for slumber was replaced with a laugh. "I can't believe you kept this. This was the _suckiest art project_ I'd ever done in my life."

"And yet you made the picture frame anyway and gave it to me as a birthday present." Roy entered the room, simplicity set as Wally kept his eyes on the macaroni-and-popsicle frame, complete with one of the few pictures they'd taken when they were younger. The first time Speedy, Robin, and Kid Flash had gotten together for a mission. One, ironically, that was a secret mission where they all got penalized for later even though it was a success.

Sixteen-year-old Speedy had been operating leader, stubborn-willed and hardheaded while a little eleven-year-old Robin disputed him the entire time. Kid Flash being the least experienced played peacemaker. Yet there they all sat on the back of one of the league's aircrafts, nodding off in a Kodak Moment of a lifetime. Wally was actually no bigger than Robin was _now_, at most an inch taller. Rob looked tiny, and Speedy still had those arms.

"Been a while." Wally collapsed onto the bed, eyes never leaving the picture. "Damn puberty, huh?"

"You're turning into a hick." Obviously nostalgia wasn't contagious. "You sure you're not hungry? Want anything to drink? I've got oreos."

"What happened to Mister Tough Guy?" A soft smirk tugged on the younger teen's lips, but he only shook his head, fingers running against dry macaroni. "No. I'm fine. Oreos don't sound that appetizing."

"Never thought I'd ever hear you say that." Roy tugged off his hoodie, tossing it aside in a nearby laundry hamper before grabbing the lukewarm bottle of water next to the nightstand. "So. What? You kissed a boy. Nothing new—I was the first one you told. You always did act a little gay."

"Does the fact that he was _thirteen_ not freak you out?" Wally groaned. After seeing the picture he'd actually forgotten about the whole situation. He pressed a hand to his eyes, depression seeping through his veins once again before covering his face with a pillow and mumbling something under his breath.

"What was that?"

"He's _straight_. I don't—I don't even know how it happened." The younger redhead sat up, hugging the pillow close to his chest with a grimace. "I mean—Uncle Barry's been telling me about relative time, and that I have to keep my emotions in control, otherwise they're gonna end up moving too fast and so I said 'okay' and he said 'alright' and then we had enchiladas and the next day I told Robin all about it and how I was worried but we couldn't really think about it because Supey's currently all emo and pouty because he doesn't know how to deal with his totally hot cousin and the next day I went to Gotham after school because you know I figured that seeing Dick Grayson—this guy who's totally hotdorable—would keep me sane even though I had the chance of falling in love with him if I didn't make sure relative time stayed the same and then he told me that he was in a play and like the main guy—Cupid or whatever you know I don't care for mythology—who was living a double life and had secrets and I thought—hmm, this sounds familiar—and then he said he was in the play to impress a girl and then I promised Rob that if he turned out to be straight then I wouldn't pursue him, plus he's freaking _thirteen_ and then when he said he was straight he pointed out Supergirl's name on my arm and I was thinking that it was time to move on or maybe I was kinda jealous of that Alexa twin or whatever and I knew I couldn't have him so I was thinking of the future, so I said she would be my girlfriend because I was trying to give up on him and then we recited lines in the script and then—uhhh, what's that word for it…"

"You kissed him?"

"_Yes_! I kissed him!" Wally threw his hands into the air. "So you see my struggle?"

Roy shook his head, taking a sip of water before offering the same bottle to the other redhead. "I see that when you're nervous you babble. Slow down."

Wally wilted, devastated frown grasping most of his expression before he slid his feet to the carpet and looked to his knees. "Uncle Barry's been telling me that my powers are manifesting. That…because my brain's working at a super-charged level and I can think thirty-thousand solutions before a normal human can come up with _one_, I can go through my emotions fast. Super fast, if I don't watch myself."

"Okay." Roy nodded and gestured for him to go on.

"And…Dick's this guy that I met. Before my accident, actually." Wally held up his broken arm. "But like…just meeting him, you've got no idea, Roy. I talk to him, and it doesn't feel like I'm Kid Flash and part of Young Justice, or that I was some kid from Central City. I just…feel like myself. No secrets. With Dick, I feel like I didn't have to hold anything back and I _haven't_ yet."

Roy frowned. "You don't mean you've—"

"The Kid Flash secret is still under wraps, I promise you." He ran his casted hand through his hair and rolled his eyes. "Trust me. Kid Flash is one thing that hasn't even crossed my mind. Today I had to explain the difference between you and Rob, and then he asked me why I was such a science nerd."

"You and science go hand-in-hand." Nodding in agreement, Roy turned over and grabbed a set of books from a shelf.

"I was watching what I said to the guy. The last time I didn't I scared him off." It was depressing, to say the least. He'd been excited and intercepted Dick the second Central City High's last bell rang. Those two girls were with Dick again, and the kid had tried to grab hold of his backpack. There were at least three text books in there—Physics, Biology, and Chemistry. He never stood a chance. "And…when he told me about Alexa, I-I just lost restraints. Lost any control. Roy, _help me._ I-I can't just go up to _Uncle Barry_ and not expect an, '_I told you so.'_ If it were up to him, Dick Grayson and I wouldn't even be talking."

"What does Robin think of all of this?"

"Robin?" Wally cocked his head, eyes narrowing to the other teenager. He blinked, and immediately the epiphany hit. "I…It…must have slipped my mind."

That was a first. Roy looked to him, expression having subtly morphed as he made the silent acknowledgement. He raised his head in what Wally could only think was a condescending manner then folded his arms. "That doesn't normally happen."

"Join the club. But it's not like I had come to see you, either." Wally stood from the bed, suddenly feeling the room wobble again and clutched the nightstand for support. He bit his lip. "I was just…I was just running, Roy."

"I know." Roy pulled out his phone—the very same phone that he called the other redhead with. "Look, you look tired. I've got another class before the day's over."

"Right. Yeah. Ugh, _crap._" Wally yawned, hand flying to his lips. "I'm…not even supposed to be running. Molecules…bursting into flames…Kid Flash s'mores…mm, I'm sleepy…Roy, do you have any marshmallows? And chocolate? And graham crackers? And like, a bonfire in the middle of your living room?"

"No." There it was again. Wally needn't even look and he had a feeling Roy was rolling his eyes. He felt a large hand press against his shoulder, squeezing tightly before pressing him down against the mattress. "I'll be back in an hour. What do you mean you're not supposed to be running?"

"There's…a certain speed that I can't pass, otherwise my body's gonna collapse inside out." Looking up to duplicate green orbs, Wally could feel the sand sprinkling into the creases of his eyes. "Because…I-I go too fast. Flash saved me the first time, but…damn, I'm sleepy."

"Take a nap. Then take your time getting back. I'll order pizza for you."

"No…pizza's depressing." Comfy mattress. Sleep. He wanted a lot of sleep. Wally writhed, curling deeper into the bed before he felt a blanket being thrown on top of his person. "Bring…Bring s'mores."

"Pizza Hut doesn't make s'mores. I'll bring cinnamon sticks. Sound good?"

"Mmph. G'night, Roy."

"You are such a hassle."

In the language of the Royish, that actually meant something along the lines of, '_I love you like the moon loves Earth, Wally~'_, not that Roy would ever admit it. Wally submersed the last of his blissful giggles, hearing the door shut behind him, the jingle of keys, and another door. He was ready to think about the relations between Robin and Dick—but blacked out into much-needed slumber only seconds later.

**xxxxx**

"You're serious? He didn't wake up even to the smell of pizza?"

Red Arrow stood by the doorframe, watching idly as uncle scooped up nephew and held the small redhead close to his chest. He'd come back from class, finding Wally was still knocked out cold in his bed, a note on the door saying he owed Pizza Hut, and went out to patrol. Even after rescuing the kids on Maple Street from a small domestic fire, Wally still hadn't left. His watch read 4AM, which meant it was bordering 6AM in Kansas.

Flash showed a deep frown, perplexed as he struggled to keep the slumbering teen at bay.

"Aren't you going to wake him?" Red Arrow stood, walking until he was parallel to Flash. Wally was knocked out like a light.

"Cute." Flash grinned, turning his head to the macaroni picture frame on the nightstand. He arched an eyebrow under an optic lens. "I remember this. You made Robin cry so Wally kicked you in the shin."

Unfortunately that had been one kick too many.

"They tend to be inseparable." Roy shrugged, inspecting Wally himself. Not even a light shake from his uncle seemed to wake him up. "Is that alright, Barry?"

"Barry? That's a bold move." Whether or not Roy was to address his apparent superiors by their first names didn't matter to him. Flash didn't seem to care, instead steadily teetering toward the bedroom door. Roy followed. "And whatcha mean, kid?"

"That you know the identity of Robin and he doesn't."

"What makes you think I do?"

"What makes you think I shouldn't think you do?" Under a slim mask, Roy's expression darkened as he looked to the Fastest Man Alive, unconvinced by the other's claim. He crossed his arms, smoothly raising his head to a man that was only an inch taller than him.

Flash stared back, subtly startled before growing serious. He smiled fondly, unfazed by the glower directed at his person before setting Wally back onto the bed. This would be a long conversation. "You're right. Big mystery solved, kid: I know Bats', and thusly I know Robin's. And Wally knows I know."

"What makes you think it's a good idea not to tell him?" When it came to secret identities, it wasn't so much a mystery waiting to be solved as it was advice. Wally would have never admitted it, but two years ago when the kid just started working alongside Speedy and Robin, he'd been nervous. To calm his nerves (and honestly, to get the boy to _shut up_), Roy revealed himself. Wally did the same whereas Robin couldn't. Batman and Robin were very stiff in keeping their identities a secret, and even now Roy wasn't a master-detective in the making like the little Boy Wonder runt. Robin's identity remained a mystery.

Barry smiled playfully under his mask, arms crossed. "What makes you think he doesn't know?"

"You're avoiding the question."

"I'm serious." Flash chuckled softly, running a hand down the back of his scalp. "We Flashes…I can say I know what's going on in his head, but I also don't. Batman would kill me if I directly told Wally, and Wally…my nephew doesn't care. I would think being their best friend you would know, Roy."

"And I would think being his uncle, you'd see what significant place Wally holds Robin." Red Arrow lowered his gaze like a carnivore stalking its prey. He gestured to Wally, foiling the older man's goofy smile. "You weren't there after that little antic, Barry. You didn't go to the ice cream parlor with us at two in the morning, with your thirteen-year-old nephew telling me about how cool you were, and me trying to be a good influence since he was a newbie. You weren't there when he went, 'So, what's high school _really_ like?' or see him look absolutely crushed when Robin said, 'Batman says I can't tell anyone.'"

"Have you seen how he's grown since then?" Another laugh escaped the lips from one of two irritating speedsters. Flash pressed his hands to his hips. "You're being pedantic. I'm serious, kid. Of course Wally holds Robin in a high place in his heart. He cherishes Robin more than you know. More than _I _know_._ I may not have been there the first time, but I _was_ the second."

Roy wrinkled his nose.

"Come on. You know you want to quote it."

"…'I do not know your name. But you are Robin, and Robins are girls, so instead I shall call you Rob. From henceforth, you shall be known as Rob.'"

"You forgot _the_ _voice_." Barry wiggled his eyebrows elatedly much like the youngest speedster would often do, then picked up the horridly-designed picture frame. "Don't get me wrong. I think you and I both agree that Wally can be a handful whenever he starts a tantrum but…he's got a lot of heart. Earning him as my nephew when I married, I never intended on taking on a sidekick. Not like you and Ollie, not like Batman and Robin. Heck, not even like Aquaman and Aqualad, and that was a mentor-student deal to begin with.

"And to say that Supes and Supey have a relationship is a lie. Wally's learned to respect the secrets he knows won't hurt him, Roy. You may have wondered countless times who Robin really is—and Wally has too. But neither of you have actually pushed it." The speedster smiled broadly. "Though it's nice to know you're still playing the big brother card. For both of them, willing."

The redhead tactlessly scoffed. "He's in my bed, and you don't think I've done anything to him?"

"You see this smile?" Flash did what he did best: beam like an idiot. "Yeah. That's me ignoring the fact I found him in your bed and pushing away any conclusion that you may have defiled my innocent little nephew. Besides, I'm sure he ran to you for a reason; can't tell Robin because he's too young, can't tell me, his aunt, or his own dad because he's embarrassed, and can't tell his team since he's off-duty. My nephew's in love."

Shaking his head, Roy directed his sight to his best friend. "He didn't run to me. He was just running. Faster than I've ever seen him. Faster than _you._ I got his signal and had to double check where or not it was actually you visiting Oliver."

"Seriously?" The wry grin dropped from Flash's face and he too looked to the younger speedster, who still hadn't woken up. "Huh."

"What are you going to do?" It'd been one of those questions in the back of Roy's mind. He looked back to his best friend's uncle, expression having yet to change as he gestured back to the picture where Speedy, Robin, and Kid Flash were being themselves. "He's not going to be _just your little nephew_ for long. One day, he could wind up being faster than you."

"Yeah, like _that_ hasn't crossed my mind a few times too many." Barry chuckled again, affectionately pushing bangs out of Wally's eyes. "I'm sure it's crossed Batman's too with Robin. Just because you were the first to take a stand doesn't mean you would be the last. Wally's got a lot of heart—that's what makes him who he is. Batman's a freaking drill sergeant with Robin, but with good intentions. They're both just kids. And they're making names for themselves much like you are. You haven't strayed too far from your roots, right, _Red_ _Arrow_?"

"That's different." Roy scowled. He and Oliver hadn't spoken in months. Their relationship was nothing like the others. None whatsoever. "You've made a legacy for yourself as the Fastest Man Alive. When he grows up, all he'll be known for is—"

"Flash's copy?" The same speedster offered a pointed look. He leaned against the nightstand, waving the picture frame in the younger adult's face. "Look, Roy, I'm not saying you don't have a good head on your shoulders but—you don't know what it's like. Not from the mentor's side. I won't tell you to go back to Ollie and make up with him, but let me reassure you: I don't know what Aquaman is going to do with Aqualad, or what Batman will do with Robin. But when _Kid Flash_ decides to step up, I'm going to be there one hundred percent of the way."

"And if he turns out to be a better Flash than you?" Red Arrow stood three inches taller, challenging what was in front of him. He didn't understand how men like Oliver or Barry could be so lighthearted. Not when so much had gone wrong with the world.

"Then I'll know I did my job right." Barry backed away from the challenge, slouching lightly before he checked Roy's alarm clock. He groaned similarly to his nephew. "Ugh. Look, his parents are gonna kill me if I keep him out any later. School starts in an hour and—well, breakfast is a very important meal of the day for the little guy."

"Fine." Roy began to shed his gauntlets.

"Like I said. Thanks for being his big brother." Flash beamed again, scooping Wally up for the second time before scooting closer to the door.

Roy stared plainly at the old speedster, thought still amusing his conscience. "So you really don't think we had sex?"

Flash shivered, kicking the door with his foot as he balanced a heavy speedster. "Kid, I'm letting this slide so I don't have to explain to Ollie later why I vibrated your head off."

**xxxxx**

"You're off."

On cue, Superboy watched Robin tense and nearly drop the grappling gun between his fingers. The smaller teenager tightly gritted his teeth, ears swelling with the warmth of red as they hovered over Gotham City Bank, patrolling the area much like they had been for the last hour. Because Kaldur often made them partners during missions, he knew for certain Robin never faltered. On several regards the boy would get sidetracked if he found out an exciting piece of information, but there was no trigger for him to be out of his usual state of mind.

"What makes you say that?" Robin's voice climbed three nervous octaves and he hurriedly ran a hand through his hair. In all his time working with Young Justice, Superboy had never seen Robin uneasy. He saw the way Kaldur would hesitate before giving the team an order, or Megan's odd behavior by simply being _around_ him, but Robin was never tense. Now his pulse seemed to be everywhere.

"What made you ask me to patrol with you?" While Robin may have been his partner during espionage missions, Superboy knew they weren't the best tag team. Robin was their smallest person, often performing dangerous stunts, and he was to play what Wally called '_bodyguard'_ when Robin was occupied with hacking. "Wally's getting checked out by Batman, isn't he?"

"Y…Yeah, but his uncle banned him for the time being from crimefighting." Robin perched himself obediently like a bird at the ledge near a gargoyle, binoculars in hand. His ears had gone as red as his uniform.

Superboy simply stared. "That isn't the whole truth."

"No, it really isn't." What looked like the boy had forced down his blush, Robin turned his head, binoculars aside with a tiny grin on his face. "Let's not talk about my life though. How are you holding up?"

"Holding up with what?" Superboy's eyebrows furrowed with confusion.

"Come on. Kaldur says that he couldn't get a word out of you and that you wouldn't budge from your room. Miss M has been trying to get you to come out, Red Tornado is like, your babysitter, and you won't even say a thing to Black Canary." Robin turned his head sharply, eyebrow arched and looked away. "Your super cousin?"

Oh. A mass of emotions shifted through the other teen as he looked away, eyes narrowing across the street to a small night café where party music could be heard.

"Alright, she's not exactly on my good side—"

"How could she not be on your good side?" Immediately the same mass lurched, and Superboy raised his voice more than intended. His eyes narrowed, offended. Hadn't Robin noticed the fact that she—_Kara_—was sweet? That there was a prettiness to her, a warmth the moment he saw Kara the same way Kaldur would tend to Robin, Megan, or Wally's needs? She _accepted him_, no questions asked, and that smile never wavered.

The point hadn't come across, apparently, as Robin stared at him with mild surprise. The shorter teenager lowered his head before struggling with a soft smile. "Forget what I said. She whelmed you, right?"

He looked away again, head swimming with all the thoughts he hadn't revealed to Megan or Kaldur. They'd sat at his door two nights straight waiting for him to leave his room and talk. However, Superboy hadn't quite come to terms with her yet. He didn't understand it.

"Come on, Superboy." Robin's smile widened sympathetically. "I know I'm not your Atlantean conscience or your Martian roommate, but…sometimes it's better to talk to someone who has nothing to do with it."

"And if this redirects my concern so we don't talk about the reason you're not paying attention tonight?"

"Then I'll be eternally grateful and uh—hope you don't mention this to KF. Or the guys." Robin frowned, lowering his head specifically in direction of his larger partner. "Seriously. Don't."

"…that's the other reason you picked me, isn't it?" Superboy looked to the Boy Wonder, unsure whether or not he should have been offended or flattered. "Megan and Kaldur would have been concerned about your wellbeing, Wally is still incapacitated, and Artemis has been on her mission for Green Arrow the last two weeks. I'm the only one who you thought wouldn't press for answers."

"Not talking about me now," Robin hummed, stacking himself on top of the gargoyle with a nervous smile. A _pleading_ smile. It was like how Wally could convey a single message with one look, but Robin normally didn't let people read him. "Let's talk about Supergirl."

Superboy eyed his companion, but knew he would never assault the poor boy and Robin could go on for days before finally breaking. Instead he turned his head, mindlessly patrolling the city. His voice softened and he lowered his gaze. "I don't know."

"You don't know?" Robin tilted his head carefully.

"How am I supposed to feel?" He looked back up, demeanor laboriously recollecting. Superboy eyed the direction of Metropolis, feeling his stomach churn hatefully and…hopefully. "It's been two months since you three found me in Cadmus, and I've been waiting for Superman to accept me. Every time I see him, he can't stand the _sight_ of me. I'm his clone, and I don't even know his _name_, but then…_she_ waltzes in."

"You know we'll find you a name, Superboy." Robin's smile faded away, deep into concern as he pressed a hand to Superboy's shoulder.

"It's," Superboy seethed, tensing as the memory burned into his mind. "It's not even the fact that I don't have a name. She told me hers. She automatically called me her _cousin._ At the moment and still now I'm processing it—understanding why Superman never accepted me as his son, his student, or his clone. He…he already had a protégé; he already had a family, and she spoke so fondly of him that I—I was obsolete. But then she accepted me. She…she still accepted me as her family."

"Kid and I figured you stormed out of there because you weren't sure how you could handle the situation." Robin covered himself with his cape.

Expression faltering, Superboy looked back to his partner. "How was I supposed to react if I didn't know what to say?"

"That I can't tell you." The other teen smiled weakly and shrugged. "KF… runs whenever he freaks out, Kaldur bottles everything up, and Megan blames it on herself."

Superboy blinked. "And you?"

"And me? Dude, I don't get freak attacks." Robin puffed his chest out. "Batman has taught me to keep my cool in any given situation."

"So…if Wally or Kaldur were to die to an attack from Clayface or Mister Twister, you wouldn't blink an eyelash?" Raising his head, the meta blinked to the other black-haired teen, eyes brimming with curiosity. Robin's pose dissipated into surprise.

"Wh-What? Dude, no." Robin paled in comparison, complexion blanching as he looked to the boy in horror. He struggled for a smile, but obviously the bit of stun was still there. "Of _course_ I would freak out. Wouldn't you?"

"You just said that you'd keep your cool."

"Erm. Alright, so some of the principles I don't stand by when it comes to Batman." The smaller teenager turned his head, apparently startled by Superboy's analysis. Robin grabbed his binoculars, this time refusing to look the Kryptonian clone in the eye. "But others, he does have a point. Batman tells me that when we're all heroed up that I shouldn't get emotionally attached."

"But you're heroed up all the time."

"I know."

"Tell me the difference then." Superboy crossed his arms, frown working across his face. "Even when relaxed we've only seen you as Robin. Not even Kid Flash knows your identity, and yet you two are the closest on our team. Does that mean you don't attach yourself to this friendship the way he does?"

"Erm, well—" Robin fell silent.

Superboy watched, positively confused as he awaited an answer, but through the lead-laced optic lenses, he couldn't tell what their smallest teammate was thinking. A reminder filtered through his mind of when Kaldur had taught him that when a group fell silent such as now, it was best to change the subject and drop the matter. Despite the sheer lack of understanding shining over the issue, he decided best to obligate. After all, Robin and he had made a deal.

Superboy turned away. "So what do you think I should do with her? With…with Kara?"

"With…" Robin's voice softened to a quiet tenor. "With who? Oh. I'd say…talk to her." He laughed awkwardly, and Superboy couldn't help but take the fault for silencing the other teen. "You've got one of the Supers willing to help you in any way possible, and…we don't consider you a clone, Superboy. We consider you your own person. I may hate her guts, but you don't have to…" His voice faded softly.

"There's," the meta mumbled as he got a better look of Robin's face, "a third reason why you chose patrolling with me over Wally, isn't there?"

The smaller teen probably hadn't even realized that he changed positions. Before either had the chance to vocalize another thought, the sound of a woman's scream filled their ears. Superboy cocked his head, hearing from the left as Robin let out a string of appropriate curses and scaled down the building. He leaped onto the streets of Gotham, forming a man-sized crater beneath his feet and scurried after the tiny teen, eyes darting from civilian to civilian. Those in the club ran away haplessly, not a thought going through their mind as the music began to explode with static.

"Ay!"

Four thugs. Superboy knocked out the first one he saw, hearing the echo of his friend's laughter and the high hum of a loaded batarang ready to explode. He turned his head, kicking another in the shin before they had the chance to recognize what was going on. A small body pressed against his back, along with the familiar heat against his body that signified Robin's presence. They were surrounded.

"How many?" Robin crouched, and from the corner of his eye Superboy could see another batarang splice through a large man's skin. "Duck!"

"Seven altogether." Superboy did what he was told, falling to the ground. He felt a foot lightly tapping his back before Robin was high in the air, many more batarangs between his fingers. Suddenly, something else caught his eye: the small frail body of a girl in the arms of a man six times her size, who wielded a knife. "They've also got a hostage."

"Gotcha!" Robin grinned wily, landing agilely next to his ally. "You take the really ugly one on the left, and I'll take the outrageously ugly one on the right."

"They're all kind of ugly, don't you think?"

"Hahaha! _Nice_—we're gonna have to tell the team that you cracked a joke." A bow stick appeared between Robin's hands, skillfully twisted before he delve into his opponents.

Superboy hid a smile, punching out another thug without having to try. Robin seemed to return into his own skin, all worries about Kid Flash—_whatever they honestly were_—having disappeared. An irreplaceable grin remained across the Boy Wonder's lips, and Superboy wouldn't have had it any other wa—he heard a trigger.

A loud explosion caught the meta's attention and he whirled around in time as parts of the ceiling began to collapse. Superboy threw thug number four, quickly spinning his feet and grabbing hold of the collapsing debris. Any victims nearby stared at him in shock.

"_Go!_" Superboy barked. He scowled, then cocked his head to the source of the sound. Not only were the perpetrators loaded with knifes, but _guns._ All assortments, he could hear a symphony of triggers and bullets ready to dig into human flesh. Robin apparently was none the wiser, and there was a gun _targeted toward his head. _"Robin—"

_FWIP._

"Huh?" Robin turned his head with curiosity, landing in perfect balance from his somersault. A green arrow revealed itself near his foot, perfectly laced with one of the guns that had been aimed toward the smallest teen.

Superboy tossed the wreckage, attention turning to the only entryway to see its shooter. He'd recognize the arrow anywhere.

A smirk twisted the lips of their archer, and Artemis stared back with amusement teeming in her eyes. "I leave you alone for _two_ _seconds_…"

**xxxxxx**

**Author's Note: **

So undeniably, I'm quite possibly the worst person to actually be writing fight scenes. But because this story takes place with superheroes, I'm placing it as inevitable, so just to be clear: I shall write them so practice makes perfect. C': I can honestly tell you right now that I've got the next four chapters done and am a third of a ways done with chapter thirteen. The thesaurictionary is going to take me a little bit (I mean, come on. I wrote everything else like two months ago), so I'll have it up eventually and have it up. As for Robin…honestly, I'm going to tell you now that I'm making him pretty miserable. But it does lead up to something; something _extremely epic_ that I can't wait to write. And. Well; you guys kinda threw me off guard by the review count last chapter; so thank you entirely for 200+ review! C:

_Extra notes: _

- Came out with a new oneshot; In Which Robins Nest—so far it's gotten good reviews; so I hope you find time to read it!

- Artemis is finally back; and please take note: **I really, really disapprove of character bashing, and I don't mean, "Wow, he can be a real jerk, can't he?" I mean, "He's a dick. He's a douchebag, AND I WISH HE WOULD JUST DIE IN A HOLE ALREADY." **Why am I making a big deal and slapping Artemis's name to it? Because I've already gotten quite a few and would rather not have to read more rants about them—show, _or_ story. You can hate the character whether it be Artemis, Superboy, Supergirl, Aqualad, Robin or KF (though why you hate them and read this story is _beyond me_), etc, but please don't hate on my turf.

- Everyone comic!savvy—I'm a big Tim/Bart fan. Majorly big. And am going to go crazy if I can't find one (and start writing it myself which is _okay_, but it's different) that I haven't read yet so. Find me one. _Pleasepleaseplease_? Rec Lists make me happy. C:

- For the future: brush up on Teen Titans. _Ehehehe_.

_Preview: "You've been gone for a freaking week and a half and just out of nowhere, you show up?"_


	9. Supette

**swirlhearty23 **Thank you for the review! **Lillythemarshmellowqueen **Haha, that's sweet of you? c': Superboy is just kind like the big-little brother that gets babied cause he's so cute. And he deserves it. c': **loony **Haha. Thanks for the review. **Occultus Reproba **That's good to know; I actually do like Artemis as a character though. Her voice is pretty. c': Thanks for the review! **LolitaRobin **Haha, I'm glad you liked it so much that it got its own happy dance? xD **KATAANGFOREVERanEVER **Haha, thanks for the review! **GoldenKitsuneHIme13 **Thanks for the review, enjoy the next chapter! **Loko **Naah. Once a week is good for me and stresses me out less. Thanks for the review! **Chasing **Yaaay? **Grim Lullaby **Meh. I do have a reasoning as to why I'm not as thorough as I should be for looking for typos, but it's not a big deal to me as it is to a lot of readers. Damian cracks me up. The newest issue with him going, "I was just trying to crack a joke," to Dick's, "Well, you suck at it," was hilarious. Bart is…amazing. But I've extracted all stories involving him with Tim and am about to just write them for myself. Which is alright. c': There's this good Kon/Bart, actually, that I read where Bart was over the phone with Kon trying to finger himself. And uh. Yeah. xD; **Chibi-Roy-Chan **Barry's a fun character to write; I do love him. c': Roy is…Roy. xD **Milkuwoo **Haha, that's good. I do love writing Roy. c': **Karma Killer 11 **That's really sweet of you to say! And yeah; I've rounded up to maybe sixty to read. Fortunately I'm more of a Bart fan than I am of a Bart Tim (psh, 51% to 49%), so reading stories of him—slash—works just as fine. Ish. **Magnie Clane **Best way to do it is just practice. c': And I decided it sucked up too much of my life so I've spent most of my spring break just writing in the anon meme. Haha. **vudupins **Haha; I can guarantee that you'll like this chapter. c': **XxFallingxAngelxX **Roy is…well, I've read a lot of interpretations of him—particularly for YJ, so now I'm wishing I'd written him a little differently; but he is certainly big brother Roy. Just big, buff, and kinda douchey. The good kind of douchey. xD **Magicmermaid **That's very sweet of you to say! Thank you! **totallyPSYCHED **Haha, thank you very much! **Lilac Rose6 **That's not particularly what I'm thinking of, but thanks, haha. You _sure_ he knows? c': **VampirePrinssess **Haha, thanks very much. c': **Zuzubear **Roy knows Barry knows about Robin, but Roy himself doesn't know. c': Soo. Yeah. **Axel **Thank you very much for the review! **shay-chama **haha. You tell me. c': **TheColorSparks **Haha; if I could be a writer for Young Justice I'd have Impulse running around and giving Robin wet kisses. Or hanging off of Superboy like a monkey. Or Robin and KF would totally kiss. Every. Single. Incarnation. Aha. **HinaLuvLuvChan **I'm a little bit more complicated than that, if I do say so myself. c': And…I've written a story where five-year-old!Wally has been abused, sixteen-year-old!Wally has lost his uncle, and Bart visits Wally. I'd say I'm a little bit more sadistic than you are. Haha. **Just A Girl With A Keyboard **Nahh. I'm pretty committed on not getting into Tim/Conner. xD It's just. It's just not as cute for me because I love Bart for being Bart. Anyway, Roy is…Roy. An interesting Roy. and Supey's just…there. xD Oddly enough I'm sure he's like the wingman for them. **Kate the Night **Haha, thank you very much! **Silly **Haha, thanks for commenting on it. I really don't like writing stories that are too centric over the character or don't change the setting; it tends to negate my attention elsewhere. I was originally gonna have some more implied Superboy/Kaldur, but at this point I'm not yet sure. **pamellka **I love how you manage to remember to review this. It's kinda funny. xD **leisurestars **Haha; thank you very much! **YellowAyris **Haha, that's always a plus, isn't it? Thanks for the review! **Ichon **YOU KNOW IT'S OBSESSIVE WHEN YOU STEAL THEIR UNDERWEAR. BUT THEN, IF YOU GIVE THEIR UNDERWEAR TO THEIR LOVE INTEREST, THEN IT TOOOTALLLY CANCELS OUT BEING OBSESSIVE. Worrying Wally and bitter Dick is just…very interesting to write. xD; I won't say fun, but I'd say interesting. **chocolatelover1 **Haha; when he realizes he likes Wally…I will be happy. Because that scene will be fun to write. c': **my perspective **Thanks for the review!

**Supette. **

"Is this really necessary?"

Like any other speedster, Batman found himself ignoring the yellow-clad one sitting adjacent to him in the Batmobile. His jaw tightened unfavorably, noting under the current circumstances he would have to interrogate his ward and understand why he refused the chance of meeting up with Kid Flash. Either way Bruce would have denied permission, ordering his same ward to patrol Gotham—included that he took Superboy with him_, _so the meta would not wallow at Mount Justice.

However, it was the fact that Robin hadn't fought to remain by the speedster's side that added to the list of what Flash dubbed melodically, 'Everything that can go wrong will go wrong.'

He would say it was a simple miscalculation, but then it'd be a lie. The current charade, Bruce and Barry surprisingly agreed not to intervene. Bruce called it a test of Robin's Line of Duty. Barry, to much concern, called it 'the thing with the lovebirds.' Whatever was currently working through Dick's mind as he continued the pretense, Batman had no choice but to watch unfold. He did, of course, give his adoptive son and ward his blessing once all of the barriers unraveled.

Hearing from Alfred, however, that Dick stalked home Monday evening without a word before heading straight to Robin's personal gym for three straight hours was of his concern. Robin had been edgier, more calculative and thrusting himself into focus. Batman had taken heed from Flash that his nephew would be visiting often, and after staring at the Fastest Man Alive in the face for an uncomfortable minute, Barry smiled with unease before leaving the cafeteria of the Watchtower, four doggy bags of cheese and chicken enchiladas in his hands. It was an interesting change, Batman admitted, watching his protégé take the immediate, aggressive route to bring down thugs four times his size.

But an interesting change didn't make for a good change.

"Okay, so you're not talking to me either. Did you seriously have to blindfold me?"

Either Flash's sidekick was playing the fool or he truly hadn't the slightest idea what was going on. The relationship between nephew and uncle, Bruce assumed, was _nephew and uncle._ Wally showed no qualms not knowing Robin's identity—not now, not in ages. A simple adult would have brushed off Wally's babbling, either threatening to turn the car around or ignore it.

Batman being the essence of his legend deduced ages ago Kid Flash told a joke or two, babbling both to hear the sound of his own voice and break the tension, so that he could forget his own anxiety. Whether or not Kid Flash knew the link that bound Bruce Wayne's adopted son and Batman's ward, the young speedster hadn't commented once about his 'Super Best Friend' in the same manner Robin shrugged off meeting up with Wally.

"I guess it does make sense."

Batman had no doubt that Wally was indeed a good kid, otherwise he would have opted throwing the boy out of their primary mode of transportation as they swooped toward Entrance #4 located in an alley between the Gotham City Hall and Flo's Dining. The same redhead appeared at unease as he stared up at the large, purple neon sign, but not a word was said.

"So like, this is the Batmobile, right?"

Again he opted not to answer, drawing more concern that not once had Kid Flash mentioned Robin, and that there were seventeen too many craters pounded in the gym walls. Alfred already implored once he was finished fixing the walls for Bruce to install a dense punching bag before Dick caused the collapse of century's worth of architecture.

"Does it go faster than the Flash?"

Like that hadn't been a challenge Barry first quipped when they met each other. Meeting Wally's annoying questions with a surreptitious grunt, he pulled into the supposed driveway, parking the Batmobile in its usual corner.

"You know…I've only been here on one other occasion. Um. You ever fix that wall?"

"Yes."

"And the toilet—"

"Yes."

"And the R-Cycle—"

"Yes."

"And the—"

"Yes."

"How do you know what I was gonna say? Never mind—you parked the car, right?" From the corner of his eye, Batman saw the teenage speedster tugging at the blindfold over his eyes. "I can take this off now?"

Reaching into the first-aid kit stocked in the front compartment, Batman pulled out a makeshift hospital gown and tossed it toward his passenger. He jumped out of the car, redirecting his sight on his security system before turning to the central computer. "Take everything off. Put on that gown and then sit down."

"Um. Okay." Good. At least now it seemed as though Wally West remembered what authority Batman had over him. If Bruce had to hear one more theory about '_the perfect pie'_ then by the end of tomorrow Flash would be missing a sidekick.

Pulling up all the information he had on Barry—_height, weight, muscle mass, body fat, appearance, voice, vitals, abilities—_Batman did the same, pulling up another window up with Flash's nephew from information gathered by himself, Kaldur, and Dick. Notes and scribbles filled the screen, filled with messy notes and underlined certainties—most notes being made by Dick whenever the eleven-year-old first met another sidekick.

"Dude! Are those my…my _specs_?"

"I told you to sit down."

"You're not a very smiley person, are you?" Sure enough, Wally shed of his uniform, bright green eyes irritatingly shining as he looked to the computer with awe. Wally looked around, careful grin spread across his lips as he brought his cast closer to his chest. The name, _'Dick Grayson' _fervently shined above the other four other signatures. "So uh, where's Rob?"

"Patrol."

"Oh."

"Go sit down." Learning tolerance after a good seven years dealing with Barry's lack of focus as a speedster, Batman continued his work, transferring what jotted notes leader and second-in-command of Young Justice managed to collect over the months. For a good ten minutes Wally seemed to be at peace, not once making a peep. He supposed the boy had only been there once, therefore he was probably acknowledging mementos, but only a fool would believe a speedster could sit still. Especially not one who still acted like a four-year-old boy. At the end of the page, Batman turned his head under a black cowl and saw no change in the boy's stature.

Time for inspection.

"Stand up."

Wally did as he was told without a quip, eyes instead wandering other places. Bruce did the first run of test much similarly to when they were in the Watchtower over the weekend. Vitals, heart rate, reflexes, working like any doctor would upon a checkup. Each time he threw something else at the teenager, Wally flung a comment back, whether light banter to annoying teasing. As a normal human being, he seemed perfectly healthy.

"Seriously, you know I could have gotten a check-up like this from my uncle or something, right?"

Without looking Batman threw a batarang in Wally's general area, aiming directly for his chest. A squeak could be heard, and he continued with the storm of batarangs, making plenty sure none were loaded with explosives or deadly chemicals. Turning around he saw a blur of white from the gown and red from the speedster's obnoxious hair. Storm fire ceasing, Batman looked back to his clipboard.

"Your reflexes are substantial."

"_DUDE_! Are you _mental?_"

"How are you feeling?"

"You could have _killed me_! How do you _think_ I'm feeling?" To exaggerate his point, Wally threw his arms in the air, but just like the first time, Batman ignored him.

It had been a silent ritual since day one; something that separated Wally from the rest of the sidekicks and why Batman preferred Kid Flash teaming up with Robin prior to the creation of Young Justice. Aqualad was a gentle spirit, emotion changing with each quake of the ocean and the age difference between Speedy and Robin was a firm line. Wally, on the other hand, acted like any teenager did. After the large changes in Dick's past, there wasn't at all a possibility for the young boy to live a normal life. Kid Flash changed that.

Because Batman had not answered the question, Wally's temporary state of discord faded, and he scratched his head. "I guess…kinda hungry."

"_Master Bruce_," Batman's comm.-link went off only a moment later. _"I have with me an Oreo Cream Pie. Shall I bring it down for Master Wallace?" _

"I didn't order that."

"_Yes, but just before Master Richard left he advised I whip one up."_

"Alright. Go ahead and bring it down." Batman turned his head and found Wally inspecting the ten batarangs that'd been flung toward him. For a moment, Wally's entire body faltered, and the same strain the boy had exhibited in the Hall along with what little information Barry willingly choked out became visible. Bruce left for a different sector of the Batcave, far from the entrance and knew Wally would teeter from behind.

"Treadmill?" Wally beat him once he realized where the Caped Crusader was headed. He took a slow jog compared to the reflex challenge, and casually leaned against machinery. "Wow, this thing looks ancient, Batman."

"I can assure you this thing is anything but ancient." Bruce tangled his fingers through wires before attaching parts against the boy's legs, arms, chest and head. "Early in the day after Flash explained the source of his power I carried out the same test when we formed the league so we would know the limits to his abilities."

"So." Wally blinked, languidness disappearing from his face. He stood on the treadmill and raised his head. "I'm getting the same test as my uncle?"

"You say that as if it's a surprise."

"W-Well, _yeah…_" The redhead shrugged and smiled sheepishly. "Flash tested my abilities when the accident first happened but we ended on the conclusion that since I was younger I wouldn't be getting all of my powers in one go. Back then the only thing made clear was that I could run 450 an hour and we spent months training my reflexes before I could become Kid Flash."

What Batman remembered was Barry coming up to the Watchtower or heading to Gotham with a contemplative gaze toward Robin, constantly bragging about his twelve-and-a-half-year-old nephew's achievements like a proud father. Even back then the first months of Kid Flash were very fragile. It was probably why the boy resorted to telling small jokes to make the situation feel lighter than it really was. "Flash says that your powers are manifesting too quickly."

Wally nodded casually, hesitant smile spread across his lips as he stood in a more proper stature. "Guess it's just kinda nice being acknowledged on his level. Even if it is a little odd."

"What speed did you take to get here?"

"Casual pace. _450_." Wally smirked, pulling out Kid Flash's goggles before slipping them over his eyes. He turned his head, green under red lenses, and took the stance of a runner. "So, um. Do you just want me to run on this? What is it supposed to do, exactly?"

"Run as fast as you can."

The redhead blanched. "But—"

"When you start feeling your body break down is when you stop." A light hum filled the room as Batman switched the machine on, eyes never leaving the data that stated Kid Flash's current blood pressure and center of gravity. "The moment your speed stimulates a change in your molecular structure, the wires attached to you will send a counter-shock that will act as a sedative and slow you down."

"And you're _sure_ I'm not gonna have to be rushed to the Watchtower again?" Wally pressed both hands to his hips, lips curling into a frown much like a sloppy dog.

"We'll see." Batman turned away, traveling back down the passage. "Start running. I'll be back in a minute."

A loud grumble could be heard, thanks to the acoustics given by the cave. He heard a strident hum of machinery as he trekked back to the main computers, going through all the data he'd collected as of yet from the speedster. His organs were fine, mind literate, reflexes enviable and proved to be healthy. Barry's main concern as it seemed, however, was the fact between Monday and Tuesday the boy seemed to have blacked out. Flash associated the flux with his protégé's metabolism and the mechanics behind hyper-accelerated pubescence, but not much else would be said. Bruce would have to retrieve a blood sample and study it overnight.

What came as a shock was the fact not once Kid Flash griped or whined that 'Rob' was nowhere to be seen.

Earlier after taking a brisk break, he called Robin through their comm.-link, hearing his ward's foggy voice and Superboy play bodyguard from behind. Never did Robin seem more affected than he did now, having knowledge that his best friend was in the Batcave. On the other hand, Wally had grown nervous, immediately grabbing the first book he saw and occupied his attention while the current duo of teenagers assured Batman they were doing fine. Kid Flash had gotten through the M's of Webster's Dictionary before Batman hung up.

"How is he doing, Master Bruce?"

Batman turned his head, putting the clipboard aside once the scent of confectionaries and other assortments of food hit his nose. Alfred had taken the time to set up a table and lay out a collection of what Bruce assumed were Oreo Cream Pies. "Was this really necessary?"

Unblinking like a daunting portrait that would hang on any wall through Wayne Manor, he caught a trace of a smirk against his butler's face. "Master Richard insisted I come prepared for his appetite. I've never come across a mouth I could not feed."

Bruce picked up the first pie he saw, noting just like any other of Alfred's creations that the food appeared absolutely flawless. "How has he been doing?"

"Give or take a few oddities, sir, he is still the same Master Richard whom you've voiced your concern over countless times." Much like the Dark Knight, Alfred whipped the appropriate equipment from nowhere, revealing both a fork and spoon. "Mister Wallace has a fondness for that sundae as well. I recommend giving it to him."

"This is the same sundae you used to make me when I was a little boy."

"And the one you gave to Master Richard when he first arrived." Alfred smiled grimly, bowing with a feline's grace as he balanced a tray of delectables. "Ever since then we've had it on occasion for many of his accomplishments."

"Never thought I'd see a smile on his face again after the accident, Alfred." Bruce leaned into the table, watching as Alfred decorated the tray with an variety of food before handing it off.

"Master Richard is growing up with a father figure who cares for his wellbeing, along with a friend with a relatable life where he can simply be himself." Alfred raised an eyebrow with wrongly placed apathy, voicing always the correct amount of concern. "He is growing up. Now he is faced with the one single boundary that was close to invisible, having to peruse due to his sense of duty."

"Kid Flash and the rest of the team is the reason why his judgment is clear, Alfred." Bruce pulled the cowl back over his face, Batman seeping through as he collected a spoon. "I trust Dick's judgment."

"As you say, sir."

With a highly unnecessary bow, Alfred ascended the flight of many stairs. Batman waited until the butler was out of sight before delving back further into the Batcave into the sector reserved for Flash and all of his kind's problems and found the boy having stopped, beads of sweat cascading down his forehead and the exhaustion clear in his eyes. A bruise rested in the center of Wally's nose, which was the first thing Batman found himself staring at as he reentered.

Kid Flash apparently noticed. He clasped a hand over his nose, panting and yawning at the same time. "Uh, _y-yeah_, that thing shocked like, _really hard_, and so I tried to slow down, and then I kinda tripped and hit my nose. Um, don't worry, it'll heal in like two seconds."

"When did the bruise form?"

"Er, as fast as it's gonna disappear. I'd say like, a minute ago? Hey," Wally frowned pulling the goggles off his face and pointing to the wire attached to his forehead. "Could I take these off now? I know they're supposed to keep a record of my body, but I feel like a freaking lab rat."

Batman quickly pulled out a timer and pushed the plate of confectionaries to the young teenager. He pulled the hand away from the redhead's nose and pressed a button. "Eat."

"What's that black and white creamy thing?" Wally looked down, lips growing into a feral grin. "Looks yummy."

"Oreo Cream Pie. Robin had it specially made for you."

"_For serious?_" Much like Flash would do on occasion, Wally swiped the food from Batman's hand and grabbed the largest cookie he could find. A scrumptious moan escaped his lips, and Wally sighed with pure bliss. "Sho you t'ink whee cahn pay twe'hy kestions nah?"

"Your healing factor kicks in and heals judging by the severity of the wound." The time stopped at six seconds when the bruise finally disappeared from Wally's face. Batman looked to the data recorded by the computer, and a frown spread across his face.

Kid Flash swallowed another cookie and reached for a water bottle that must not have been touched in ages. "What? Bad results?"

Luckily before Batman had the chance to explain his findings to the teenager, Wally's phone began to ring. Batman swiftly ran a hand over a button.

"_Hey, I'm just about done at work. You want me to come pick Kid up?" _

Batman exchanged looks with the redheaded speedster. "I have the results. Come by—"

Wally paused, no doubt staring at him in shock. "You crossed the wires in my phone?"

"Made your phone. Specially designed so it didn't peel away to friction."

"Oh. Could I go see Rob first?" Wally beamed good-naturedly, grin spreading across his face. He scraped Oreo and whipped cream with his index finger, green eyes gleaming contemplatively before he put it in his mouth. The speedster gasped before blissfully sighing and putting a hand on his chest. "I've _seriously_ got to thank him for this pie. Oh, and say 'hi' to Supey, too."

Flash laughed on the other side. _"Sure thing, kid. I'm on my way, so don't take long." _

The moment the comm.-link went dead, Wally must have stuffed all of the food down his throat with no problem. It was one of the things Batman had never witnessed Flash do, who instead retained more control when it came to what he had to eat. Batman watched, waiting while a content speedster finished off the remains and licked his fingers. "You can take me to Rob, right?"

Batman narrowed under optic lenses. He tilted his head to the side, unfazed by the query as he turned fully in direction to the core of the Batcave, Wally teetering after him.

"So are you gonna tell me then?" Wally upped his speed, freckles gleaming and smile wider than it had been all night. Batman made a mental note to check on Robin's condition as well once they crossed paths. "What do you think's gonna happen? Can I be Kid Flash or what?"

"Are you exhausted?"

Not expecting a dubious question, the grin from Wally's face disappeared. A look of contemplation passed through his demeanor, and slowly his lips parted, yawn escaping his mouth. The speedster staggered—one step, two steps—before a lax grin spread across his freckles. "A little. Trying not to blackout, I think the food's helping."

"The chemicals in your body are reacting and trying to keep up with your metabolism. That should be no news to you, because you eat to fill that void." The pile of Kid Flash's costume was now neatly folded—ironed, even—and sitting idly on the table with the rest of the sweets. Batman tossed it to the speedster, eyes locking with the computer for the overall analysis update made for Kid Flash's statistics. "But as your body tries to develop it's burning most of its energy trying to fix your arm. If you were to experience another attack as you did, the results may not end as safe. Wait until your arm is fully healed, let me take another analysis, and from there we will decide."

"Oh."

He supposed the news had come grimmer than Wally was expecting. Batman had no doubt as to whether or not Kid Flash would be back on duty in three weeks, and being the science extraordinaire and optimistic pessimist he was, the speedster probably thought the same. "Put the blindfold on. We can intercept them near City Hall."

"Right. You know," Wally grinned, and Batman watched from the corner of his eye as the teenager zoomed up to his side, green eyes suddenly covered with a thick piece of cloth. "That pie was amazing. Oh, and that sundae—the one with the caramel and the nougat? It's really good."

Fortunately the boy's vision was too obscured to see the sprinkle of mirth across the lower half of Bruce's face. He guided the boy to the passenger seat of the Batmobile, then triggered the ignition.

"Family recipe?" called the speedster when he knowingly wouldn't get an answer.

Batman didn't smile. But Bruce Wayne was definitely amused.

**xxxxx**

It was a widely known fact that Artemis (or 'Missy, as Wally would call her just to tick her off) and Wally didn't get along. She was always deployed on solo missions for Green Arrow, disappearing for days at a time before returning. Kaldur tried for three to make them confront their mutual dislike for each other before giving up. Wally's dislike for her slowly turned into a broken record like a little boy crying over spilled milk, and Artemis often endured it because she found him an immature little brat.

"What are you doing here?"

"Is that a blindfold?"

This really meant, Robin thought as Superboy and he looked between the arguing pair, that they were compatible in the sense they were incompatible. Robin rolled his eyes, remaining perched on a pile of debris after out of nowhere when they successfully rescued the hostage and took down all the thugs Kid Flash appeared, cast mounted against his stomach and obvious scowl the moment his eyes landed on carefree Artemis.

"I'm sorry, but _seriously_?" Kid tossed his arms in the air, sneer worsening across his face. "You've been gone for a freaking week and a half and just out of nowhere, you _show up_?"

From the side Robin could actually _hear_ Superboy rolling his eyes at the scene laid out in front of them. He hid back a snicker in favor of watching. And if watching Kid Flash losing his dignity meant that he could continue avoiding the speedster at all costs, then so be it.

He bit the inside of his lip, laughing again at the fact that Wally was completely worked up, but Artemis had yet to lose her cool. He'd yet to admit it to his best friend, but Artemis must have been one of his favorite people in the world. Embarrassing KF wasn't an easy feat since the other teen made a living out of wisecracks and sarcastic comments, but Artemis did it with a grace and a style that made each comment top the last.

Now they were apparently talking about the situation.

"Look, I'm all for showy entrances and playing the hero, but do you _see _the state of the building?" Animatedly, Kid gestured to the club that indeed had fallen from gunshots, explosives, and anything else the thugs had threatened the place with. What did you expect though, since it was Gotham-freaking-City?

"Are they always like this?" Commissioner Gordon's daughter, Robin grinned, had been across the street in the library before one of the thugs kidnapped her, making it as public as possible that he had the young daughter of Mr. Gordon. She being only fourteen, offered an odd look between Superboy and Robin himself.

"You kidding me? Can't you hear the violins and Justin Bieber music playing?" Robin snickered and shook his head with much amusement. "_Hahaha_. They're in love."

Artemis rolled her eyes with little amusement. "So what happened then? I heard that when it came to _Superboy_, you caused the entire building to collapse."

"_Hello_! _Totally. Different. _Did _you_ find an alien clone at the bottom of forty-two levels underground? _I don't think so!_"

"You are such an idiot."

"Well you're…you're _blonde_!"

Luckily only minutes later while the lovebirds bickered, Commissioner Gordon had reclaimed his daughter and taken up the criminals that decided to crash the building. He stared at the teens, scratching his head after Robin shook his hand and muttering a job well done and disappearing. All the while, neither Artie nor Kid seemed to realize all of the commotion was now gone. If anything, they were causing a new one.

Until Supergirl came.

The grin disappeared from Robin's face as he caught the petite glimpse of red-white-and-blond. Superboy tensed beside him as the other stupid Kryptonian began her descent to the ground. Kid Flash and Artemis noticed her immediately, and one blur later found the pair by Robin and Superboy's side. It looked like an angel was landing to Earth—something that Wally probably planning to flirt about.

Blond hair swished around in that perfect manner all Kryptonians seemed to have. She smiled, inhuman blue eyes glowing gently. "Hi."

"Hey." Wally's voice dropped three octaves and again, Robin found him pushing into his personal space. The redhead's shoulder pried against his chest, irritatingly digging, and Robin had to slap the boy upside the head to snap him out of his thoughts. "Ow! _Dude!_"

Supergirl only giggled. Robin wasn't happy. He stared at the girl, expression turning sour before harrumphing and turning his head. "_Cooties._"

"Thought it would be a while until I saw you three again." She smiled before flashing her eyes throughout the team. Each time her attention turned to a new member, the Kryptonian's eyes lingered longer until they finally caught Superboy's sight. Supergirl waved but Superboy stared. "Been a while."

_Not long enough._ "Not long enough." Superboy's voice disappeared into a faint murmur and edgily he backed away until Robin was squished in the middle by his two guy friends.

Still that smile never wavered across Supergirl's face, gradually turning more knowing until she set her sights upon Artemis. "You weren't here last time."

"The last time what?" Much like Wally had done, Artemis wryly smiled, eyebrow raised before extending a hand. "Artemis."

"Supergirl." At last, Supergirl turned her sights to Wally. "Can we talk in private?"

"Sure, Supette." _Supette? _Did Kid really have to come up with a nickname with _every person_ he met? Wally stood, four inches of distance between himself and Robin. A disapproving frown rested across Robin's face, and he stood. It was probably better just to call Batman so they could escort Superboy ho—"Supey, stay here? Robin, come with. 'Missy…no one likes you, go home."

What? Robin blinked, exchanging looks with the remainder of their quartet. Superboy was nervous, Artemis was…well, the girl was pretty awesome. She rolled her eyes, elbowing Wally square in the arm (_"Ow!"_) before waving goodbye. Robin made sure to grab her by the hand. "See you this weekend?"

"This weekend I see you." She smirked, oddly giving condolences to the pair before walking in some general direction.

Wally zipped back, for a moment bristling shoulders with Robin's. The younger teen shivered from the touch, quickly biting his lip while the oblivious speedster looked pleadingly to the tallest of their trio. "I promisepromise_promise_ we'll be done soon."

"I want to talk to you, Superboy." Seriously it was bad enough Supergirl was _here_, but did she have to cootie up the place and get closer? With the freaking _angelic _look, too! "Please?"

Robin took that moment to elbow Superboy. It was at that time he lamented a sigh, irritably rolling his eyes and reminded just an hour or two ago when Superboy was troubled. This was his stupid Super Cousin and although Robin disliked the thought of Wally cootying with her, she was also opening doors Supey couldn't by himself. "Keep yourself busy and we'll be done soon. _Kid Mouth_ will just have to babble fast."

Superboy delved into another look of uncertainty, frown tight across his features before finally, he pulled away and back into the throng of wreckage. Once Superboy was out of sight gathering debris, Robin crossed his arms, turning expectantly between the pair of contagious cootie contractors. Kid hadn't visited since Monday; since _the incident_. He wasn't liking the scenarios playing through his mind. _None at all. _Right now Wally was only here, obligated by his uncle to get checked out by the Bat. Not for Robin, not for Dick.

"Been a while," Wally finally said. A cheerful smile spread across his lips and he nudged the younger teen in the arm.

Robin's throat tightened. "You're the one who refused to come."

Then showed up with his _'not-exactly' girlfriend._ Maybe it was because they were best friends that he knew the inner workings of Wally's mind—or at least, up until two weeks ago when Barry made his nephew run an errand—that he had a good assumption as to what Wally was thinking. A look of horror passed through the redhead's face, who was probably interpreting the answer exactly how Robin phrased the question.

Wally thought Robin knew. _Duh_. But going with the redhead's assumption he would have to explain how he knew Dick Grayson and how close they were. More lies.

"_Anyway_," Wally announced, eyes darting back to _Supette_, "How's the search going?"

Superblondie ducked her head, golden eyebrows knitting together with apparent worry. _Flaw!_ It was a flaw that Superman would _never_ allow when facing other people, even Batman: vulnerability. Superman hated being vulnerable, and Supergirl was probably breaking a rule in the Super Handbook! "Superman doesn't know that I've done my own investigative work through the league and what was left at the Cadmus sight."

Of course she had to be the one to reach down her shirt between her SuperBoobs and pull out a thumb drive. A frivolous grin spread across Wally's face, and he took it between his fingers. "I ever tell you how much you rock?"

"Only four times a day." Supergirl eyed him playfully, smirk spread across her lips.

"What is it?" Robin used his weight, butting between the pair of taller teenagers. He stood at the tip of his toes, griping only to himself that Supergirl was hovering three inches above the ground and Wally was already tall enough.

"This is why we needed you, Boy Wonder." Another irritating grin passed over the redhead's face, but somehow it seemed to loosen the knot in Robin's chest. Green eyes fell to his form, and Wally quickly put the thumb drive in smaller hands. "Hack. Please?"

Eyes passing between Supergirl and KF, Robin wasn't sure what to say. He grabbed it without word, and plugged it into his gauntlet. Immediately the holocomp appeared, blinking with a blinding white headline.

**Project Kryptonite**_  
Weapon CNR014: Cognitional Neuroplastic Replicant_

Finally it hit Robin. The youngest teenager blinked through his mask, eyes grazing the data and soaking in all of the information. An intricate heading was sewn in the front, along with an embedded stamp. This was information from _Cadmus_. Not only that but he'd been so wrapped up with Supergirl's appearance that he totally tuned them out. He _never_ tuned hero duties out.

"Where did you get this?" In July with their mission that first triggered the beginning of Young Justice, Robin, Kid Flash, and Aqualad had _found_ Superboy. He'd tried hacking every encrypted file he could find, but even he couldn't figure out the coding for the more serious files. "I've got the best equipment money can buy and—it'd still take me _months_ to steal this information."

"Kryptonian technology was pretty advanced compared to Earth. Hacking was no problem." Supergirl placed her hands on her hips, ghosting an image of her supposed cousin while doing so. She beamed, and—_blegh_—looked at Kid enthusiastically. "I'd gone back to the sight Kid Flash told me about and fished out what was left over from the explosion. Something about…_sidekicks interfering?" _

Wally fidgeted. "Er, let's not talk about it." Robin tensed, feeling Kid rest his chin over his shoulder to get a better look. He ignored the fact Supergirl was giving a _Super Grin_ and Kid Flash was _flashing_ a freaking smile. "Remember how I told you Supette stalked me home after the incident—?"

"_Which one_?" Robin scowled. What part of _cooties_ did Wally not understand?

"Um. Well, anyway," Wally sang, then shifted positions until he was sandwiched by both _Supette_ and _Rob._ "I was still a little freaked about…well, the stuff that I told you, and she said—"

"I really wanted to help Superboy," the Kryptonian—_Kryptoniette, _if they were seriously playing Kid's game—interjected. Her stupid perfect eyes gleamed carefully, gaze lowering as guilt fluttered through her features. _UGHH._ "And KF explained my cousin's background to me and what Cadmus had done to him."

"And on the plus side—" Kid's tone morphed slightly. Just like how Robin knew Wally's brain well Wally knew when something was off to him. "—if Superman is gonna be a huge dick, at least the other half of the Super Cousins can help out. Batman and Canary can only do so much before the whole Kryptonian-puberty kicks in. Uh, by the way, Super Gorgeous—you all turn out that pretty?"

Robin kicked him in the shin.

"Ow_!_ The word '_cripple'_ mean anything to you?"

He ignored the comment. "You should have mentioned this earlier."

Kid Flash and he were a team. And for the hundredth time the fact Supergirl was getting on his nerves was _really _bugging him. If it had been Kaldur, or Megan, or _Artemis_ that had the same plan, Robin wouldn't have cared. Supergirl was _nice_, and she was pretty cool. _But he seriously didn't like her._ Up until that very moment Robin had assumed time spent with Dick meant more to Wally than the entire world. He made an error. One that really hurt.

"Would have." Kid Flash's face fell and he rubbed the back of his head. "Look, it's a long story and I'll tell you later."

There were a lot of things that managed to stress the Boy Wonder out. The fact Aqualad was still acting leader, Batman's unbelievably high expectations, and now Wally was wearing thin on his last nerve. Robin looked to the previous information, running the title through his head: _Cognitional Neuroplastic Replicant. _

"That's what I couldn't understand." Supergirl raised her voice as she hovered over Robin's shoulder much like Kid had previously done. "Cognition is _perceptive_, neuroplastic refers to the brain, and replicant means that Superboy is of course, a replicate of my cousin. The only other fact Wally hadn't told me was that there was more in Superboy's gene pool. A human half."

"A human?" Kid Flash's face contorted with confusion. "So…does that mean, like, there's a Super Mommy out there?"

Supergirl grinned, and Robin had a feeling he knew what she was thinking. "Let me assure you there's not a '_Supermommy._' But the name's endearing."

No doubt Kid was smiling back. "Then…if Superboy is only half-Superman, what's the other half?"

Girlish sigh. "I…I don't know."

"Conner." Robin pushed between the two, eyes glued to the heading. His eyes memorized the title, quickly storing it in his head. "_Cognitional Neuroplastic Replicant._ C-N-R. _Conner._"

Supergirl and Kid looked at each other with surprise before the redhead twisted his footing. He stood parallel to the younger teen. "Alright, Mister Thesaurictionary. So what does that mean?"

"It means I totally just found Superboy's name." No thanks to their annoying lovey-dovey attitude. The dark-haired teenager refused to look at his best friend, or the _Super Girlfriend. _Instead, he turned his head, forcing a smile against his frustrations as he found Superboy's eyes staring right at them, mystified. "_Conner._ I dunno, KF, don't you think it's fitting?"

"Uh. Well, now that I think about it…" Yellow blinded his vision, but no speed showed behind it. Kid Flash leaned into him—_what was up with the guy lately?_—and immediately nodded. "Conner's a good name."

It happened again. Superboy's face morphed with the uneasiness, and although Robin wasn't the guy's '_Atlantean conscience_,' he assumed it was one of those I'm-not-angry-but-I-don't-know-what-you-would-call-this-feeling kind of feeling.

"Super hearing." Supergirl's voice softened, and a gentle smile spread across her lips. She leaped into the air before landing gently in front of her twenty-something week-old cousin. No more whispering, no more hushed tones. Kid and he were just bystanders. "Superboy…I know I'm not Superman, but would you be willing to take the next best thing? _If_ you consider me the next best thing, I mean?"

Superboy had looked to their little pair as Robin forced a small, encouraging smile alongside his best friend's, and fortunately it seemed to work. "…the last time I met Superman he told me that I needed to work on my powers. Batman and Black Canary are who help me."

"Batman? He's _great._ Superman and Wonder Woman made me train with the Amazons for _three months_ before I was allowed off the island." Supergirl's smile broadened. "But…he's no Kryptonian, and I could probably teach you more about your powers—or at least how to channel them—better than he can."

A hesitant smile spread across Superboy's face. "I'd…like that."

It wasn't until Kid Flash tugged on his arm that Robin realized he'd been watching the scene unfold too. The redhead smiled like the dork he was, hand firm against the younger teenager's wrist as he gestured toward an alleyway. The same one Kid had come out of, actually. "Let's give the Super Cousins some time to themselves. Catch up a bit. Then we can pester about…Conner."

He wasn't liking the way Kid had a grasp on his arm. "You think he'll go with the name?"

Wally had yet to release him. Rather than going into the alley, Robin blinked as the speedster guided them to a convenience store. A grin spread across his face. "Stay here."

What was so wrong with hanging out with his best friend? _Why_ was his mood all over the place? Robin bit his lip, and the memory fluttered back: what had happened that day. Wally-stupid-West _kissed _him. The details on his mind were no fuzzier than when it happened—how soft Wally's lips were against his. His body had tingled, fluttering from the sudden attack of adrenaline, and always his first instinct when his body wasn't his was to push away. To _kick_ someone.

But it was Wally. Every fiber, every nerve recognized Wally's light touches, and he could only stand in shock. As fast as it happened, Wally pulled away, those bright orbs darkening in half a second before he ran. _Fast._ Dick must have stood there for ages, watching the nonexistent trail his best friend left behind before rushing home. Alfred watched, having absolutely _no idea_ why he'd gone home and spent three hours training and building his endurance in the gym. Robin first, Dick second. Like always.

He must have waited that Monday night at least six hours for Wally to call Robin; to start a wide panic and speak so fast that his babbling would have sounded like one word. There weren't any texts for Dick, and he knew Batman had been watching him as Robin when they foiled Catwoman at the new museum exhibit.

Three seconds later Kid reappeared with two cans of root beer in his grasp and a brutally red wallet between his teeth. Robin caught one can as his best friend tossed it. "Uh. Thanks."

"Now, what were we talking about? Oh!" Kid snapped, pushing his wallet into some unknown pocket before settling securely on the concrete. "Conner. Honestly, Rob, I can see it. And thanks to your clever wordplay it means Supey won't go around as a Bob or a…_Noah._ Hm, religion. You think Cadmus taught him anything about religion?"

"Kid, he was grown as a science experiment in a _test tube._" Robin rotated the can of soda in his hand, having yet to open it. His skin felt hot, a maddening red pricking up his nerves despite the fact KF didn't suspect a thing. Right now, he wasn't Dick, and Kid Flash wasn't going to pester him about the K-word. "Can you really imagine Superboy preaching about the messiah and crucifixion?"

"No." Kid Flash snorted. "That kid can barely crack a joke, you know."

"He cracked one just today." The younger teenager unconsciously grinned, laugh escaping his lips. "I think we're rubbing off on him."

"Success!" Wally threw his casted arm in the air, then laughed. "Dude, he totally cracked a joke a couple days back, too. You know, before I almost exploded."

"_Before you totally exploded._" Robin sniggered. All air of tension lifted from his heart. It brought him back to the world—back into his own skin and he was reminded of how when they were younger where months or weeks could pass before Batman and Flash needed to team up again and they picked up on their conversation like they'd seen each other the day before. Wally made the point loud and clear the other day when they spoke, and now Dick saw the logic. They were best friends.

"I…blacked out by the way." The laughing had ceased, replaced with an air of muteness that was deft and comfortable. The redhead looked back to him, frown tight across his lip.

Robin blinked. "What do you mean?"

For a brief moment Kid's ears turned as red as his hair, and he tucked his head between his shoulders. His expression morphed—not a frown, but definitely not a smile. "Basically…that date with Dick totally wasn't a date. Even though, you know, we were totally playing footsies."

He didn't want to get into this. And he still didn't understand _footsies_. Robin held his breath, slowly pulling at the cap of his soda and feigning disinterest. "Really. This relates to blacking out _how_?"

"Dude, don't act all superior—it just so happens that at your age _I_ was trying to figure out which way I swung, too." Kid Flash crossed his arms, harrumphing as he tossed his head into the air. "I kissed him. And then…I totally freaked out, so I ran." That sounded right. "But like, I ran _too fast_, and before I knew it I ended up in Star City. Red Arrow took me in, I slept on his bed and when I woke up it was three in the afternoon on Tuesday and I apparently missed school."

"Why didn't you come to me about it?" Immediately Robin frowned. Eyes darting to Kid he found the speedster with both a red and blue face, troubled, and those green eyes weren't looking at him. Robin squeezed the can tightly. "Dick Grayson has been someone that you've talked to _me_ about. Why Spe—Red?"

Dick fact: Because Roy was Wally's big brother, and Robin wasn't. But that wasn't going to be the answer Kid would supply—not now, not ever. Back and forth he was getting tired of hearing things he shouldn't.

Wally squeezed the can of root beer between his fingers, eyes never leaving his feet. "Honestly, Rob? You kinda slipped my mind. Right after spewing my guts I pretty much collapsed. Thought it would be a short nap, then my mom—" Wally stopped.

Another Dick-known fact: Wally wasn't on good terms with his parents.

Robin pretended he was too interested in his drink to pester Kid about his family. He really wished he was, considering as open as Wally could be, his parents had always been a closed subject. Instead, he thought it best to change the subject. "What did Batman say about your powers?"

A look of relief fluttered through the other teenager's eyes. Kid Flash smiled gratefully. Robin-known fact: the Wests were parents that never showed up when their son needed them the most. It explained why Kid was so closed to his aunt and uncle.

Kid stretched his limbs, yawn escaping his throat. "Picked, probed me. Made me run on this doohickey machine but he didn't look too happy about the results…then he fed me. Thanks, by the way." Kid grinned. "That pie was _amazing._"

"Figured you'd want to try it." Robin shrugged, looking away once again. He double-checked, caught in a crossfire. Was it Dick who knew Wally liked Oreos, or Robin? "What else did he say?"

"Asked him a bunch of questions, made fun of him—you know he picked me up in the _Batmobile_?" Snapping out of whatever teen angst the speedster put himself in, KF sat higher against the concrete with a snicker. "Dude—can you say _Michael Jackson_? But he's not that bad. Gave me sundae, too. Seriously, I dunno how the guy can whip up so much stuff—you got a maid or what?"

"Something like that." Robin's ears turned bright pink. He'd told Alfie to make food and already expected Alfie to do his best. He just…didn't expect to be so flattered by Kid Flash's reaction. Suddenly they fell silent, and it was like their first few meetings: a quiet mini-Batman and a talkative, nervous Kid Flash. "How long have you been conspiring with Supergirl?"

"Kara?" _Damn it._ Kid Flash only laughed. "Not as long as you think. She came by my house _once_ after we got back from the Watchtower incident and I pretty much spewed my guts. Then yesterday…I didn't go anywhere. My aunt made me stay in bed all day and fed me food."

Oh. Robin blinked, eyes raising with surprise and for the first time all night met Kid's. Good ol' Kid Flash's, whose green eyes just matched the rest of the speedster's blinding outfit. Blinding yellow, obnoxious red, fluffy red hair, and—his eyes. Wally's eyes were a shade of green that still popped despite his costume. They defined Wally. _A lot._

But how could Wally look at him and not recognize any of Dick's features?

"…that kiss, by the way," Robin mumbled, "was scripted."

Kid blinked. "Er, what?"

"I'm—I've seen the script. Trust me, it was scripted." Robin channeled plain old Dick—the boy who _hated_ it when Bruce tried to make a little protégé out of him, and complained every day during breakfast for having his hair the way it was. He wrinkled his nose, having used all the spare time yesterday when he waited for Wally to show up to read up on the script. It wasn't a lie—Psyche and Eros kissed like every other scene. "Just tell him that the next time you see him."

"No. _No way._" Kid Flash immediately stood up, complexion disappearing into white as he shook his head. "Dude, do you know _why_ I kissed him? I got _jealous_, and for like a relative two minutes I decided, 'Oh, maybe he'll get jealous of the name _Kara_ on my arm if I call her my girlfriend'!"

"She's not your girlfriend?" That made another weight lift from Robin's chest. He blinked, looking up as Kid paced back and forth, swishing a half-full can of root beer as he went.

"No! And then I _kissed him_! Do you _not _see the problem in this logic?"

"Kid—"

"I can't stare him in the face anymore! I didn't even want to come to Gotham _today_ but Uncle Barry made me!"

"Er, KF—"

"And I would have talked to _you_, but that meant _going to Gotham_! You see the flaw in _that one_?"

"_Slow down_!" Robin smacked Kid Flash upside the head once the older teenager stepped to the right. He jumped in front of his best friend, but suddenly his mind went blank. He couldn't think of one snarky comment or how to rag on his best friend. Kid Flash hadn't forgotten about him after all. Supette/Kara wasn't Wally's girlfriend, Kid valued him as a best friend, and on the flipped end nothing had changed. They were still just KF and Rob. "Just…visit tomorrow. I'll talk to him. Promise."

A Dick-look appeared across Wally's face, lips curved worriedly and eyebrows dipping together, but still the guy only nodded. Was that what you called lovestruck? "O…kay. Um, I'll throw that away for you."

Robin looked to the soda can in his hand, then shrugged. "Sure."

Like a lot of the Dick looks KF sported, this one was nervous. Wally dipped his head, eyes sparkling with relief as he poked the younger teenager in the arm. "Back in a Flash."

"_Loser._" Robin smirked, waiting while his best friend swooped the corner and out of his sight. _At least this time_, Dick thought as he waited, looking down the street where debris lay. Superboy and Supergirl were nowhere to be seen, and he had a feeling Flash and Batman were purposely waiting for them to finish their conversation. He couldn't help but turn that smirk into a smile.

At least this time when Wally ran away, Dick knew he'd come back.

**xxxxxx**

**Author's Note: **

The next chapter will take place three weeks later, and I really wanted 'Conner' to be thrown out there and have some significant meaning. …watching the first two episodes again though even though this chapter has been done for like three weeks already, I'm not quite sure how well it bodes with you guys. I mean…I took the reasoning from the Smallville episode, Scion, where Clark got the name Cognitional Neuralplastic Replicant and turned it into 'Conner'(?) idk; I was tired; was writing, and was just lmao-ing at the fact Smallville!Clark wasn't as freaked out on suddenly having this clone thrust upon him than YJ!Superman was.

Originally this story was going to be major KF/Robin and major-minor universal stuff (ex: Superboy finding out his name; exploring Nightwing and the Flash III), but the more I planned, the more closed it became around KF/Robin. Not to say that there won't be—a warning and a piece of interesting news to readers—but it won't have as much focus as I intended because. Well. I have a life. c': And, well. If none of you like the fact I sprung the name 'Conner,' in the mix of things, it drives a kiss between Wally and Dick. So there. Thanks for reviews!

PS: I've been a bum and hovering over the yj_anon_meme filling out fics. Three, specifically, and I'll giggle if you can pick me out. c':

_Preview: _"_Dude, you have any idea how hot you are right now?"_


	10. Free

**Free. **

_Three Weeks Later._

"I am a _free man!_"

Dick tore away from his conversation with the Als, script still tangled in his fingers as Wally skid down the auditorium incredibly fast. Well, he snorted. _Almost_ incredibly fast. The redhead skipped four or five steps darting through empty seats while Alexander called for a break. Three weeks exactly, it'd been since the incident, and Wally was still hesitant when talking to him. The good news, however, was that Wally was _talking_ to him.

"Oof!" _Ooh_. Wally slammed his nose into the stage. _That_ looked like it hurt.

"I take it this means you're done for the day, Cupid?" Alexa giggled at his side, hand nudging his arm.

"Eros." Dick rolled his eyes, tossing the script in the air before putting his hands on his hips. "I'm playing _Eros_, and I'm only _playing Eros_ because I'm the only one who fits the costume, and I had to miss the big test in Brighton's class _for reasons I may not disclose to you_ so she's giving me extra credit."

"You still look cute in your diaper."

"_So_ not wearing a diaper!" He smirked despite himself, lightly nudging Alexa in the arm before sliding off the seven-foot stage and meeting Wally on carpeting. The redhead hadn't moved from his spot, instead clutching his nose. "You break it?"

"No breaking," Wally grinned through his nasally voice. Just like the speedster promised, the blinding yellow cast was no longer incarcerating his hand. Outcarcerated, he waved it around as Dick helped the older teenager up. "No breaking at _all._ Dude, I'm free from that cast! Uncle Barry let me take it off, and now I can run all I want!"

"_Run_?" Really, the guy made it too easy to catch a slipup.

"Yeah, I'm on the track team." Offhanded, the redhead waved his hand and brushed past Dick, sights set on the stage. Dick blinked in confusion, and could only watch as Wally stood at the tip of his toes the same time Alexa lowered herself to close the gap. He whispered something in her ear.

Wait, wait—suddenly the flashback of when they made up—what followed up the incident three weeks ago after Kid had his first checkup with Batman, the Oreo cream pie, and meeting Supergirl for the second time. Not to mention they hadn't seen sign of Superboy (_Conner_?) since then.

"_THE KISS WAS SCRIPTED. It—the kiss—er…I mean…" _

"_Er…y-yeah. I know." _

Silence.

"_Did you really have to run away?" _

"_W-Well, I kinda just freaked and—uh." _More silence.

"_Dude, it's fine." _

"_Um, I'll _totally _help you get together with her if you want me to." _

"_R…Really?" _Fake blush. _"I'd like that._"

Oh crap. Dick lost his composure, eyes doubling in size while Alexa's cheeks teemed bright pink. He darted forward, paling as she turned her gaze toward him, and looked away. The _last thing_ he needed was to add Alexa to the list of 'Stressful Things Made by a stupid Wallyful Day.' He yanked Wally by the tail of his shirt, ignoring the many looks received—Veronica and Dani included—and yanked him toward the door. "Next week! I'll see you _next week_!"

"Dude!" Wally tripped over his shirt, faltering while they passed the door and trekked up the hall. He groaned. "You know for a little guy, you're _strong_."

"What did you tell her?" This would have been an easier act if Wally_ wasn't screwing everything up._

"All I said was that you said she'd look cute in a toga—_ow_ stop pulling my ear!" Wally shook his head before creating a gap between them. Friendly gap—one that Kid Flash and Robin always had. Dick, however, couldn't help the dizzying scowl that passed his face. Suddenly his redhead blinked. "Dude, you feeling okay?"

They reached the school gate without much problem. Dick blinked back. "What?"

Wally's fingers grazed against his skin, the back of his hand pressed up against his forehead. Dick tensed, ears tingling with the same heat the rest of his face was feeling, and scooted away when the older teen leaned into his stature. They weren't going to _kiss again_, were they? "Dude, you have any idea how hot you are right now?"

Dick stiffened. Weren't they over the stage of _hotdorable_?

"Your face is flushed, your palms are sweaty, and you sounded a little bit congested." The redhead beamed proudly before slouching closer. Suddenly his expression darkened and he thoughtfully tapped his chin. "I think you're catching strep."

"I don't get sick." Not as Robin around Kid Flash, anyway. The last time he caught a cold Bruce was so careful that he wasn't even allowed to practice in the gym. Dick backed away, Wally's cold hands shivering against his skin. It was Friday. He was not going to sacrifice his weekend because of some idiot's claim that he was getting a cold. Or strep. _Whatever!_

"Hm, sure, whatever." Wally grinned, words obviously going in one ear and out the other. He pulled away, hand digging into his pocket.

"What are you—mmf!"

"Cough drop." The redhead revolved around the shorter teen, triumphant look spread across his face. Wally's fingers grazed his lips—moist, but clean. Dick pulled them away from his mouth, eyes narrowing closely. Wally arched a playful eyebrow. "What? Dude, my last class of the day is chem. Trust me—washed hands are a _must._"

"I don't get sick," Dick repeated absentmindedly. He knew by now all he sounded like was a broken record, but it was seriously getting on his nerves. He felt Wally turn his foot, picking and prodding at his arm before an almost-inhuman quick had Wally swishing to the other side. "Dude, stop."

"Gee, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were Rob's twin." Wally snorted, his once-bad arm jingling in loose pants. "I once put a cough drop in his mouth too and he bashed my head in."

Dick remembered that night. He had been twelve and they were dealing with a team-up between Poison Ivy and the Mirror Master. Robin _bashed Wally's head in_ thinking the yellow blur was a Venus fly trap after KF shoved a hand down his throat with a fistful of Halls to counteract one of Ivy's toxins.

Moving the lump of medicated candy between his teeth, Dick wrinkled his nose and managed a triumphant smirk. "Only old ladies carry candy with them, West."

"Old ladies and _kids._" Wally puffed his chest out and wiggled his eyebrows in that irritating way. "Guess which one I am."

"Need me to carry your purse, _ma'am_?"

"_Ha. Ha._ Actually," the redhead chirped as they began a random trek, "I only stopped by to say hi. Rob and I have plans."

Theyhad_ plans? _Dick arched an eyebrow, hands by his side. Wally and he had spent every day together for the past two weeks doing—well, honestly, absolutely nothing. Because Central City was two hours behind them, by the time Central High let out for the day, Dick was done with his extracurriculars. He sidestepped any mention of the Wayne household, instead going to Flo's where they sat in silence, doing homework for half an hour until Wally got bored and they went to the arcade, mall, or a walk in the park.

There were days where he had to bail for 'emergency Mathlete meetings' (aka Penguin, Joker, Clayface, or just plain in-your-face _Batman_), but Wally never questioned. Actually there were boundaries, he noticed, that Wally was putting up.

Remembering as much of speedster-mechanics as KF had explained to Robin, Dick now noticed the fourth-of-a-second where Wally would hesitate before speaking, or how the guy would look at him when he thought Dick wasn't paying attention. Wally wasn't kidding when he said he desperately wanted it to work—but that didn't mean Robin didn't take note.

There was a certain giddiness to the way Wally would speak, but also a bit of sadness. Dick mentioned for three days, '_Alexa this_' and '_Alexa that_'; stuff that didn't seem that important. Like, Alexa had makeup on today, or Alexa was always spending time with her brother. Honestly he couldn't have cared less, but after the kajillionth mention and a surprise visit from Wally to Robin in a dark alleyway, he decided tone it down. If Robin had to hear one more rant about how Wally's hair was ten times redder than that _Alexa-chick_, then he would die.

"So…there's no point in you and I hanging out this weekend?" Dick raised his head, feigning disappointment as they crossed the next street. Wally picked up on it.

"Nope." The older teenager grinned, twisting his feet so he would be walking backwards. "Going up to Rhode Island with Rob. Besides, this is the weekend that I get to hang out with my girlfriend."

Rhode Island. Happy Harbor; Mount Justice, the base. Right. Wait—"Girlfriend?"

"Okay, so she's not my girlfriend _yet_, but Rob's been helping me out with her." He had? Wally sighed dreamily, hand running through his hair. "Megan. Oh, she is _mega fine._"

Oh. The chokehold on his heart disappeared, and instead Dick looked to Wally, noticing the miniscule strain that grappled the other teenager's features. Was this a _cover up_? The past couple weeks in passing Wally hadn't mentioned Megan _once_ when it was just Robin and Wally. Obviously Wally's desperate crush wasn't going to end in his favor, but Dick supposed if Dick Grayson-and-Wally West (_Walchard_, or _Dilly_ if the press ever got a hold of them) relationship wasn't going to turn up either, the guy needed a cover up. Just…to be sure that Dick wasn't contemplating that kiss and the friendship negatively.

So Alexa was Dick's secret cover up, and Miss M was Wally's.

"Good luck then," the younger teen said steadily. When he was down to the last bits of his cough drop, Dick chomped it into pieces and offered a small smile. Suddenly, the next question couldn't help but leave his mouth. "What happened to _not-exactly_ _Kara_?"

Wally cracked a grin. A really wide grin that although made Dick annoyed his best friend was going to get all gushy again, but also looked pretty funny. "She's been busy with her cousin. Helping him settle into things—no biggie. Well, it looks like we're here."

Dick looked up, and the red sign of _Wayne Tech_ caught his eye. "What are we doing here? Are we running another errand for your uncle?"

"Dude," the teenager snickered. Dick caught his breath, and fingers ran through the thick bunch of hair near his ear. Wally clasped a hand against his jaw line, palm against his cheek. Green locked onto his form, but not quite his eyes, and suddenly the redhead was all he could see. Wally's nose. Wally's freckles. Wally's eyebrows. He felt his head raise as fingers pricked the tip of his chin, and then…green. A greenful Wally stood in front of him with one wry eyebrow arched and a sarcastic comment ready in his arsenal. "Your face. Red. Come on, we're like a week into October and tickle me purple if you're not sick."

"You didn't have to take me _here._" Not when the last time they were at Wayne Tech he nearly peed his pants watching Bruce's charming, laidback smile turn into Batman's sharp, bleak frown. Bruce thought Robin had spilled. Wally must have noticed that first time, but hadn't said a thing. Instead, it was adoptive-father-and-adopted-son bonding tricking the redhead so he wouldn't suspect a thing. "…did you just say 'tickle me purple'?"

"Nebraskan at heart, Kansan at the moment." Wally shrugged casually. "You haven't mentioned your house in the entire month I've known you and one of us normally needs to take off before I walk you home—mainly me, like now, but not always the case. Go up to your dad's, rest."

"Adopted," Dick couldn't help but grumble. His eyes looked all the way up to the long building to the very top and saw a silhouette of two figures. Assuming one was Bruce, he couldn't make out the other. He'd been used to leaguers visiting, after all, since he was a little kid. "Whatever, alright."

"Get your work done, go to bed with a nice glass of milk, and uh—eat oreos." Wally grinned. "You ever get the chance, try some oreo cream pie. That stuff's the shizz."

"Ri-ight." Dick bit back Robin's smirk, arms crossing. "But I'm not sick."

"Whatever. _Alright._" The redhead nudged him in the shoulder before turning his footing and rounding off the corner. "Bye!"

"Bye." It wasn't until Wally was completely gone in a mass of people that Dick rolled his eyes. The dork may have gone AWOL, but he knew for a fact Wally hadn't the slightest idea where he was. Loosening his tie and tousling his hair, Dick hadn't even gotten halfway toward the elevator when his comm.-link rang. He made a detour for the restroom. "Robin here."

"_Du-ude! I got my cast off! Let's meet up—Batman's gotta check me out again and then we can sprint off to the base." _

"Sure." Robin grinned, biting back a laugh. Sometimes Wally could just be too predictable. "Just let me change."

**xxxxx**

Oh. Oh dear.

"He…still is not back yet?"

Megan smiled cheerfully as Kaldur looked around the main bay after being called out by the computer system. She shook her head, taking note of the worry and dismay that crossed their leader's face, then passed over to Artemis, who shrugged. "Nope."

"Oh." Kaldur's eyebrows squished together as he treaded down the walkway onto the glowing blue arena. "It has been…quiet, since his departure."

"It's not like he doesn't come in during the nights—in fact, he's…come in every night, silly." She nodded, eyes lifting to the ceiling and hand rubbing her chin. "Red Tornado and Canary don't get on his case for it, and he's always been gone for duties in Metropolis."

"Yes, but…he has never been gone this long." Kaldur's face twisted into something unreadable. "I am concerned."

Aw. Megan offered a guilty smile, unsure of what to say. Kaldur was just being a good leader, after all. She lifted from the ground, hovering four inches from the air before descending next to their leader, hand on his shoulder. She flashed him a look of sympathy, quick squeeze against his bicep as his look of downcast morphed, concern doubling. "Superboy was made as an indestructible weapon. I'm sure he's _fine_, Kaldur."

It had been almost a month now since that meeting with Supergirl (or, oh wow, Kara. What did they call her?)_, _and from the little bits and pieces Megan managed to gather about Superman, Supergirl was apparently nothing like her. Er, hopefully. Otherwise the whole scene where she smiled and then he frowned and then she offered to shake his hand and then he stomped away was totally misleading. It was odd, since Megan and Aqualad both spent equal times at the base bringing up food to Superboy and hoping he'd talk.

Then out of nowhere Robin showed up at the door, small smile on his face and Superboy was whisked away whether or not he wanted it, and when he came back—_poof!_ All the negative energy gone, replaced with one of Superboy's little smiles (oh, you know, the one he mostly only showed Kaldur) and Megan found herself saying goodnight to Supergirl, who flew away with a polite smile on her face.

"I suppose this means he does not need my…_our_ guidance anymore." His lips struggled with a small smile, eyebrows dipping lightly, but the matter was dropped after that. "Has Canary arrived?"

"None whatsoever." Artemis grinned, hands thrown to her hips as she playfully snorted. "We're also waiting for Kid Idiot and Robin, so it'll be a while."

"How's school going?" Megan decided to change the subject, liveliness increasing as she shifted body weight to get a better look at her fellow female team mate. "Now, Wally, you, _and_ Robin are back to school, right? Didn't you say Wayne Foundation offered you a scholarship to Gotham Academy? Erm, whatever that is."

"Boring as _hell._" Megan bit back a grin, watching as Artemis casually rolled her eyes, lips twisting into a small, odd grin. "The drama club's got a big production in the works based off Eros and Psyche. They chose these two tiny middleschoolers as their leading roles and starting next week I've gotta help with the set for extra credit."

"A drama club?" That sounded like fun, actually. Megan smiled, hands behind her back. "That sounds like fun."

"It's…pretty cute. From what I've seen of it." The blonde laughed wholesomely and shook her head. "Saw the auditions a couple weeks back and the boy who got Eros—Dick Grayson—is the golden child at our school. He's cute—when he keeps his mouth shut. Otherwise the entire time he complained about the costume and shivered at the thought of wearing a diaper. Wouldn't blame him if I was in his position."

"Superboy's really cute when he starts talking though," Megan blurted. Realizing what she'd just said, the Martian gasped, cheeks flaring pink as she clasped a hand over her lips. "I-I mean, not cute as in _attractive_, but cute sort of like…I mean…like a puppy? N-Not to say that Superboy's a puppy, but he's cute as one, and uh—oh, wow, Megan…"

"We got it." Luckily it was only Kaldur and Artemis that were there with them. Artemis patted a hand on her shoulder sympathetically, mischievously smiling. _Still_, did Superboy's tendency have to come from _her_ mouth? Oh, so embarrassing…

"_Recognized: B01_: _Robin._ _B02: Kid Flash." _

"I can't believe you wouldn't let me race the BatJet!"

"What would be the point in racing the BatJet?"

"Hmm, I guess you're right. I _am_ faster."

"What? Dude, _no way!_ The BatJet is totally faster than you!"

"You sure? _Let me race the BatJet to find out_!"

Black Canary and Batman studiously entered before the pair of teenagers, expressions tightly wound compared to Wally and Robin, who teetered after the mentors and made faces at each other. From her left, Megan heard Artemis sigh, and in the corner of her eye noted a smile from Kaldur. It was enough for her heart to flutter, immediately morphing her civilian clothing into Miss Martian's uniform, cape dancing against her back.

"Hi, Wally." A shy grin spread across Megan's face as the adults ascended to the platform, Wally and Robin still locked in an argument. Once her greeting met the fellow redhead's ears, Wally snapped out of his argument and matched her smile. Then, she noticed something missing from his arm and gasped. "Did your cast break again?"

Oh no! Megan soared into the air and landed next to the speedster. Her fingers trailed against his once-broken arm as concern fluttered through her features. Wally wasn't confused. Instead, he shook his head and wiggled his eyebrows in that funny way he always did on missions. "What? Not at all, Beautiful. No, this is good news, I'm—"

"Kid Flash no longer has to wear his cast," Batman interrupted brusquely. He eyed all the teenagers, lips coiled firmly. He could be nice—Uncle J'onn once made her sit through a conversation with him, and even though he could be really blunt he was really nice, too.

"Do you have a mission for us?" Kaldur was quick to jump, and they quickly fell into the normal roles, standing at the platform how they always did: Wally and Robin were close together, Kaldur stood in the middle, and Artemis furthest away from the speedster as she could get. With…no Superboy there, Megan had no choice but to stand between Artemis and Kaldur.

Er, she wondered if Mr. Batman blinked with the cowl on. He simply looked back while Kaldur attempted to maintain authority as their leader. Suddenly his fingers rose, revealing his small, universal remote. Holographic screens appeared, all popping up behind them. At first, Megan couldn't recognize any of the wordings or understand must of what seemed to be scribbles and strokes, but then—

"Your favorite movie was _The Little Mermaid_?" Artemis whirled around, eyebrow raised in the air as she angled her attention to Wally. "You know she turns into sea foam in the real movie, right?"

Oh, poor Wally blanched with horror, quickly zipping through all of the data before standing in front of Batman, arms extended and cheeks blazing. "D-Dude! Are these my _specs_?"

Megan blinked. Movies. The past few months Superboy had grown accustom to just watching static on TV, so she honestly didn't know what they were talking about. "What's…the Little Mermaid?"

"Dude." Robin snorted and threw an elbow into Wally's arm. A quick '_ow_!' left the redhead's throat, but through his shades, the youngest didn't seem to care. Oh dear. "We can talk about singing crabs later. Stay still so we can get briefed."

"But…but…_my specs_!" Wally paled. "What does this have to do with the _mission_?"

Without even realizing it, Megan had turned her head to meet the gazes of both Kaldur and Artemis. She sighed, small smile against her lips as they patiently waited for the pair to stop. Kaldur was right—they were just inseparable. Ever since the first day when meeting them, Wally may have given her attention but his eyes always wandered back to Robin with a more playful, _animated_ look.

"You are the mission." Batman interrupted their conversation with less grace, pressing a button on his remote again. All of the screens changed, morphing into a larger one behind the Dark Knight himself. An outline of Kid Flash was summoned to the hologram, followed by his skeleton, heat signature, and muscles.

Quickly Robin and Wally stopped their usual bickering in favor of looking to the screen. A white blob showed up where Kid Flash had massacred his arm due to the…incident. At least, that was what Megan called it. Wally frowned. "Didn't you give me the test on my vitals when we were in Gotham?"

"You can't honestly believe that I'd only execute one small test." Reiterating his point, Batman lowered his gaze before referring back to the screen, Black Canary at his side. She stared at Megan, and Megan decided to wave. "For the past three weeks you've been off duty in order to heal your arm. Now that it's fully healed—if not more functional than your previous arm—you have to test it out."

Wally blinked. "So…you basically want my team mates to _massacre me_ in order to test out how my arm functions?"

"Precisely." Batman looked to every one of them, but Megan decided not to wave when his eyes landed on her. "Your powers are manifesting. We've yet to test the limits of them and the last time you ran on my treadmill you beat your previous record by seventeen miles."

"I did?" Wally looked around vividly before squinting at the corner of the hologram. His face lit up. "Cool—I _did_!"

"But Batman, do we really have to be penalized just because Kid doesn't know his powers?" Robin immediately frowned, stepping closer to the center and approaching his mentor. "You were going to give us a mission today. _Admit it_."

"The mission can wait." Batman stood taller, authority clear on his person. Oh wow. His expression morphed, eyes narrowing under optic lenses (something Uncle J'onn had told her about) and he tersely leered. Robin didn't back down. "Knowing the limits to your team mate's abilities is what makes you a team. If you don't understand the extent, limits, or the raw power behind their abilities, then one little mistake you are unable to adapt to will jeopardize both the team and the mission."

"Could," Robin chimed. He crossed his arms and Wally zipped beside him. "Not would."

"Thoughts _aside_, Robin." Oh. Neither one of them had wavered—no longer were they considered _the Dynamic Duo._ "This is the _league's_ call, not yours. Gather sufficient data, and we will compare notes later. _Understood_?"

It was a stare-down between partners. Megan gulped—at least it was kind of funny watching Robin try to stare down someone three times his size, er, right? There was a zip of air, and obliviously Wally stood next to Artemis. She could hear him whisper into her ear.

"_Dude. _I can't even hold my own in a staring contest against _Robin._ You know how long this going to go along? Forever!" Wally tossed his arms in the air. "And ever, and ever, and ever…"

"Drama queen." Artemis flashed a sardonic look and rolled her eyes.

"Does that mean, perhaps, if we are successful in finding out Kid Flash's weaknesses, you will give us our mission the moment it is done?" Kaldur lifted his head, slowly intercepting the pair. Robin looked his way—face redder than normal and Batman stayed silent.

"If you complete this mission in one weekend, then yes. You will be deployed on a mission the following week."

"And if we complete this mission by the end of tonight?" Robin smugly crossed his arms.

"Dude!" Wally zipped between the pair and attached himself to the younger teenager's shoulder. "Could we have a sleepover? We should totally have a sleepover!"

"What is this," Artemis drawled, snicker escaping her lips. "I was under the impression you didn't do slumber parties, _Miss._"

"Shut up! Slumber parties are cool!" Wally puffed out his chest. What was…a slumber party? Megan blinked, and it looked like their archer and speedster were about to get into a vivid argument about um, how cool slumber parties were. Megan hid a smile. They would have made _such _a cute couple, if it erm, weren't for the whole, 'I hate you' thing. Finally the speedster turned his head, instead twinkling with green eyes as he clasped his hands together. "_Pleeeaase_?"

Oh, neither Robin nor Batman look thrilled with the thought. Robin had been frowny the past couple of weeks, but they had all assumed it was because Wally wasn't allowed to work until his arm was healed. Now, however, it looked as though the younger teenager was _really_ troubled. Megan quickly made eye contact with Kaldur, who seemed to notice it too.

When it looked like Wally wasn't going to get an immediate answer he continued without skipping a beat. "Um, trust building exercises? And like, you basically want them to beat me up, so why not do it with style? If you're worried about Robin's secret identity—we'll make him wear a blindfold or something at night."

"Who says _I'm_ staying, dude?" That was weird. Robin and Kid Flash always picked fights with one another, but that normally ended with silly grins and wrestling on the ground. The way their youngest team mate acted, however, was really different. For a moment with a stumble in his voice, Robin crossed his arms and tried for a half-hearted smirk.

"Aw, why _wouldn't_ you?" Wally pouted, then zipped back between Artemis and Megan, arms at their shoulders. "Team bonding? We can watch movies! And play games! And I can kick your a—butt in Halo!"

Oh. Oh goodie—Robin's edgy stature faltered somewhat, and he turned around, meeting the gaze of both leaguers. From her angle, Megan wasn't sure what Robin was doing, but he quickly nodded after Batman finished his talk, then staggered to the back of the team.

"Black Canary will watch over you and show you battle tactics. The objective is simply train. Find each other's weakness. Exploit your advantages. Tag team." Batman did one more scan of their little group. "Make it happen."

The last of Batman's sight was geared toward Kaldur, and their leader just nodded.

Suddenly Mister Batman leered. "Where is Superboy?"

Then they all froze. Megan kept her hands knotted behind her back to prevent them from flying to her mouth, Wally's victory snickers and Robin's indifference were cancelled out with pale looks, and Kaldur stood his ground not knowing what to say. Where _was_ Superboy?

"Supergirl…will be coming by later." Wally nervously grinned, pushing past them all until he was at Kaldur's side. "With Superboy."

Megan couldn't tell if there was a look of shock across Batman's face, or if it always looked that way. Instead he clicked the button, causing all of the screens to disappear before turning a foot and disappearing through the transporter.

Black Canary spoke up, eyes scanning them casually until her attention rested on Wally. Gee, Robin was still pouty but Wally was near bouncing off the walls. "Get changed. Freshen up and then we'll begin today's lesson."

**xxxxx**

Soo. When Wally mentioned the word 'massacre,' Batman apparently didn't correct him for a reason.

"Dude!"

He pulled his goggles over his eyes, quick to duck the batarang recklessly flung toward his—his _crotch._ Rob apparently wasn't going to go easy on him after all the cracks from today. His feet treaded the coastline of the beach, kicking sand with each step. He quickly swiveled, ducking as the next batarang was aimed for his arm. If that wasn't bad enough, the moment the KF-made sandstorm dispersed, a tentacle of water was targeted for his head.

"Is this really necessary?" He yelled at the top of his lungs. Rob and 'Missy were about to turn him into a fucking red and yellow shiskabob and Kaldur was totally about to steam fry him.

"You're the one with hyperactive reaction time," Black Canary's voice called back, amusement dancing in her tone. "Use it. _Hone it._ Flash can predict aerial attacks from three-hundred sixty degrees. Can you?"

"Uh, _yeah_, if the other three-hundred fifty-nine are clear! Ow!" There was an arrow attached to his ass. Like, all of the stupid Nerf bullets on commercials, only this one was _stinging._ Kid Flash yanked it from his backside, yelping because he was _pretty sure_ that thing peeled off his skin. "Are you trying to _kill me_?"

As the dust cleared for the second time in their four-on-one sparring match, Artemis stood parallel to him, four feet away and hand at the tail of another arrow in her quiver. She smirked—and not one of those sexy smirks that Supergirl would sometimes give him, but one of those annoying, _I-am-so-better-than-you_ smirks that he hated. "Maybe."

"I am _so_ calling foul." No good—she was handling three arrows with some mechanical doohickey (seriously—Supey was a science experiment, Kaldur used waterbearers, Miss Gorgeous was an _alien_, and 'Missy and Rob used tech-stuff! What happened to good old fashioned _running_?) and Aqualad was shirtless, standing in this whirl-pool thingy by the beach with sabers in both hands. His sabers magnified into some hammer thing, but it was clear—no sign of Miss Martian, and Robin was somewhere off yonder in the dark or something.

"Can't call foul on the battlefield." Artemis's eyes twinkled with that irritating ferocity, smirk in her voice as they stood still like an old _west_ern movie, waiting for the other cowboy to shoot. No offense, but she was kinda irritating. And smart-assy. "Aqualad and I have got you _surrounded_. You ready to give up, _Flashboy_?"

Oh, she did _not_ just go there.

"Hm." It was at that moment Kid broke into the biggest grin ever imaginable for the first time in five weeks. He felt his molecules tingling—_good tingling_ as he buried his feet into the sand, tightening his goggles in less than a relative second before spinning clockwise. _Look to the ground_, Jay's voice rang in his head. _Keep your head centered, so that way when you spin you don't get queasy._

Through a typhoon of sand, Kid Flash could hear the sounds of 'Missy coughing—probably from getting sand in her diaphragm—and Kaldur faltering as the water hit sand. He leaped high, allowing the residual adrenaline to sweep his feet before pushing off the ground into a frontal handspring and skidding under Artemis's frame. Sure, Wally wasn't an acrobat in his free time like Robin (seriously, how did the kid _do it_; he belonged in a circus or something!) or had Dick's center of gravity, but the padding Uncle Barry and Jay built into his suit and a good two-and-a-half years was decent.

"I think I'mma dodge everything you throw at me." God, if only he wasn't above mooning her. Instead Kid Flash zipped to a nearby rock formation that jutted from their base like a peninsula and stuck out his tongue. "_Lo-ser!_"

And that was when Missy caught the bait. No lie—Artemis was a hard cookie to crumble—probably the macadamia nutty kind—but she was growing on him. Almost. Sort of. Well, not really—but he wasn't even gonna tell _Rob_ how he sort of liked her. Wally stubbornly realized that other than Rob, there was no one else on the team who could stir him up more than Blondie, and it was _fun_. Was Missy stupid enough not to take the bait? Well, that was a pride-blowing no.

But did she ever refuse it? Kid Flash couldn't resist a grin. Oh, no. _Not at all. _

So Artemis smirked back, eyes half-blind with sand as she pulled her bow back like an articulate and agile harpist and fired a storm of arrows. Granted, even if she _was_ Green Arrow's other niece and his other trainee, Roy and she had battle styles on opposite ends of the spectrum.

The first one exploded into a rocky ledge, causing a small avalanche in Wally's way. He ducked it immediately, flinching and weaving through debris. While he may not have been as flexible as Robbie, he was hoping he did the kid justice with HA-reaction time. Just how did Rob _do _it without being a meta?

That was when the second arrow hit—this one turned into polyurethane foam when it grappled a large rock. That one almost got him in the crotch. _Again._

Sheesh. Wally glared at both arrows. Artemis was _definitely_ trying to kill him. He whirled around, thinking in clockwork—something else Batman had told him to lay off on over a month ago. _Tick. Tock. Every second, every moment—just think it._ It was Uncle Barry's voice this time, spewing advice in his ear as relative time became his friend. Thinking in ticks and tocks meant thinking _fast_ so his brain would _slow_, and it was still one vital part of his powers he'd yet to have full control over.

Otherwise he wouldn't have fallen in love with Dick Grayson in less than two days. _Tick, tock. Tick, tock. _

"Hah!" Kid Flash bent over and felt his spine rejoice in a symphony of cracks that would _so _hurt later, dodging the last arrow with only a stumble. His back planted into the sand, but for that moment he only laughed at his victory. "In your face! Miss me~miss me~now you gotta—oh, let's not go there…"

"Forgetting about me?" But, _oh shit._ Kaldur was on him like a piggy in mud, tentacles of water rising from his sabers. They solidified, and their big, buff leader mounted onto the sand with his freaky webbed feet moistening with dirt between his toes. His new water-weapons turned into sabers, and Kid Flash instinctively rolled away until he was at juncture where grass met dirt.

Wally seethed, nose colliding with something for a second time that day before quickly getting up. Thinking in relative time would have taken too long, and the moment he stood, four arrows were shot his way. "Whoa! Can I seriously not call a foul?"

"You're doing fine," Canary's voice called. Man, if she wasn't so freaking hot Kid Flash would have been annoyed.

Artemis and Aqualad had him cornered. Like a tigress Missy streamed through obstacles and you'd think she'd be on feline paws instead of combat boots while circling him like a petty little animal. Aqualad was second, air of authority lost in favor of a playful smirk. He stayed where he was at, sabers drawn and tats glowing. It may have been a test, but it was a _fun_ test. Finally:

"I can vibrate my molecules," Kid Flash chirped. Wally planted himself exactly where they thought he was cornered: against Mount Justice. He wanted to say he knew exactly what piece of advice Uncle Barry had given him about vibrating his molecules, but he forgot it the second his shoulder started melding into minerals. _No bloody nose, no bloody nose, no bloody nose… _Actually, things _exploded_ whenever he vibrated them.

Oh god. What if _he_ exploded? _Again_?

"Oh shi—" Wally was cut off when his butt met the ground. Holy fucking Batman, he hadn't exploded! Kid Flash looked around, then realize he'd landed in a cavern. Oh, right. _Duh_, the entire mountain had been hollowed out by Superman way back before the league even existed. He blinked through his stun, tingling sensation having yet subsided in his shoulder. This cavern, however, looked different than the others. Not manmade. True, the mountain itself was gihuganormous, and now…he kinda felt like he was forgetting something. Kid Flash swallowed metallic spit, fingers pinching his bloody nose. A _big_ something.

Oh, right. The mountain was gonna explode.

"Oh, _crap_!" Despite his bleeding nose, Wally sprinted feet before him, and the mountain trembled. Okay, so he wasn't so powerful that the entire hideout would collapse above his head, but the layer of rock he'd vibrated through _definitely_ was about go kaboom. But as he ran the speedster was 98% sure that he wasn't running away. Wally was shoved back in the corners of his mind, Kid Flash beating in his veins. He'd ran away from a lot of things when he was younger—his parents, when he was four and accidentally set fire to his father's autographed baseball, his aunt that following summer when he stepped all over her petunias, and one time even Uncle Barry.

What some people never understood was just because you had super speed didn't mean you were always running away from something. When you ran there was always a destination, even if you didn't know it yourself. When you ran, you had the air humming in your ears and the wind blowing crisp in your hair, and all you had to do was think. Then suddenly, Jay and Uncle Barry put a label on running—put a reason behind it. When you were the fastest kid alive, you could run and go _help _someone. Save them from burning buildings, reunite a heartbroken little twerp with his mother—_anything._

Wally loved being Kid Flash.

Finally sure he was far away from the rest of the team, Kid Flash stopped, watching as light filtered through at the next corner. It was probably the actual entrance to the cave. Kid looked behind him, assured he'd outrun the explosion and his team mates—plus, the mountain was pretty ginormous. It would take Kaldur and 'Missy awhile to find him.

Kid mounted on a rock formation, face twisting with irritation. He rotated his once bad arm and scanned the area. Sure, he'd been in a few fist fights on his own when the Uncle was preoccupied, but not in this situation. In a roundabout way Black Canary basically made him public enemy number one and turned his team against him, deliberately ripping away his comm.-link too. Batman wanted his _specs_

Suddenly Kid's thoughts fluttered away from him in favor of the phone. He looked around again, the cavern mute from any attack. No one was here, and…well. Dick had been looking pretty close to sickness. When the doc took the cast off his arm and they left the building, Wally had made a mad dash for Gotham City, almost forgetting his costume. The first thought was to get the stupid check-up with Batman over, swoop Robby off his feet, then trek to the base. Instead the moment he laid eyes on that big prestigious building known as Gotham Academy, Wally found himself bursting through the doors, triple excited to see Dick, and almost slipped up. _I'm a free man! I can be Kid Flash again—NO, ER, WAIT._

Well, that's how the conversation would have gone. If he hadn't caught sight of the girl Dick was crushing on right next to the boy _Wally_ was crushing on, both completely focused on their script.

"Meh. Yeah, I got time." Wally quickly dialed a number he knew by heart (how crazy was that? Dick wasn't even listed in his phonebook yet—Wally just _knew_) and called Dick. The phone rang four times before automatically going to voicemail. Huh. Maybe the little guy actually took his advice. Instead of calling again, he texted. _Hey u ok? _

Then Wally stared at the message. He erased it.

_Hey. Are you okay? _Send.

Now, there was a matter of that Alexa girl. Alexa and Alexander were a pair of twins who looked nothing like. Alexander had these wild brown curls (which would be _exactly_ why Wally kept his hair short now) and gray eyes hidden behind these super-thick coke-bottle glasses. He had pimples the size of clams all over his face, and probably had some bacne, too. Alexa, on the other hand, was pretty. She was primp and princessy and totally someone that would help Dick Grayson in the whole publicity department.

This time he couldn't help but snort at the image. Publicity. _Right._ Sexy Bruce Wayne was always in the spotlight for doing something good, and really his only rival nowadays was LuthorCorp. Left and right he always had a girl draped on his shoulder, but the guy was a freaking genius when it came to business. And he never had a boyfriend. Even if Dick did swing Wally's way, Bruce Wayne and the world's disapproval would have outweighed a relationship with a boy. Dick probably felt he had a line of duty to his father—_scratch that, adopted father_—before getting into a relationship.

Out of nowhere his phone rang. Wally jumped out of his thoughts and two feet in the air before clutching his phone tightly and reading off the number. He pressed it to his ear, grin spreading across his face from freckle-to-freckle. "Hey. How you feeling?"

"_Fine." _From the other side it sounded like Dick was out of breath. There was hesitation dripping through the phone, Wally knew. Dick's personality managed to jump on different ends of the spectrum—shy one moment then hyperactive the next. It was beyond weird, watching this reserved boy jump into sarcastic battles, but it was also really cool. Wally loved it. _"Aren't you supposed to be in Rhode Island?" _

"Pshh, every day I'm also supposed to be in school but being with you is twenty times better." Wally laughed and leaned his head into the wall. He thought he heard a rustle, but shrugged it off as the wind. Dick never bothered to ask him how he jumped four states and got to Gotham only a quarter past three; not since the first time. "Well—you all snuggled up with a teddy bear and chicken soup?"

"_Not sick_._" _God, that kid was so adorable when he was all pouty. From the sound of it, Dick was doing something. His voice was hushed, half-monotonous as he tended to something. Wally had a feeling Dick was definitely _not_ in bed clutching a teddy bear. _"How old do I look?_"

"Fifty-four thousand, seven-hundred and eighty-two." Thirteen. He could _hear_ Dick rolling his eyes from the other end. Suddenly the redhead stood, deciding better to pace back and forth rather than stay still. He grinned, taking into account Dick's cute little laugh, then dug the balls of his feet into dirt.

"_You're such a dork."_ Yeah. Robby called him that a lot. _"I'm, um. Doing homework." _

"Quadratic formula?" If it wasn't for the fact a lot of math was involved in physics Wally would have been screwed. His stupid English class alone he'd speed-read the books and store them in his memory before forgetting what they were about the next day.

"_X is equal to negative-B—"_

"Plus or minus the square-root—"

"_Of B-squared minus 4ac—"_

"All over 2a." The redhead sniggered and pushed his goggles above his eyes. "Dude, my math teacher made our class sing that to _Pop Goes the Weasel._ Hated that formula all semester. At least I've got a photographic memory."

"_Photographic memory and math? Hahaha!_" Dick laughed over the phone—laughed _loudly_. _"Dude, you are so weak."_

"What? That I know all the algebraic formulas and you don't?" Whirling around defensively, the teenager placed his free hand on his hip and pouted. "I'm hurt."

Not really. It took a moment for the little guy to stop laughing, but Wally only waited patiently. When Dick finally stopped, Wally was just tingly. He loved that laugh, and it looked like whatever restraint Dick had put upon himself was now gone. Just plain ole Dick. _"There's a difference, smart one. Memorizing everything, every _formula_ doesn't make you a mathematician. Unless you actually realize and understand the problem…you're a phony. A liar. _Faker."

Uh."Anyone ever tell you, you speak older than you look?"

"_I only sound like I'm speaking older because you're incredibly stupid." _

"Hey! Hurtful." Still, Wally could only feel his ears tingle. His super hotdorable little friend _was_ talking to him, after all. There hadn't been one mention of Alexa whatsherface the entire conversation.

"_Truthful_," Dick chimed. Wally wished he knew what his phone partner was doing. A silence carried on, where Wally assumed his new friend was doing his homework. They'd known each other a month now—an _actual_ month, and…well.

Wally felt his lips twist. Uncle Barry's claim was kinda legit now. He forced himself into a smile and wiggled his eyebrows. "I still think you're sick."

"_Sure. Because I would totally let myself get attacked by the common cold." _Contrary to belief Wally could actually hear the sniffles from the other end.

"Dude—can't go against nature." Actually, Wally couldn't remember the last time he got sick. He was pretty healthy; natural selection and all that.

Silence. _"Tell you what. If you're right and I'm sick, you can make me soup." _

"I'll even bring you a teddy bear." Wally grinned. "Dressed up as Robin, Boy Wonder."

"_Yeah. Like Build-a-Bear could get any of the gear right. Hahaha." _There was another pause, but the redhead hadn't mentioned it. Dick had a crazy busy schedule. The fact Dick could put some Wally-time in every day after extracurriculars was phenomenal. _"That a promise?" _

"A promise that is." Though Wally probably shouldn't have mentioned he couldn't cook to save his life. Anything given to him was normally straight from a can via Uncle Barry and Aunt Iris was just always busier as a news reporter to make him food.

"_Mm. Alright, this time, I gotta go. Bye." _

"Bye." Was it bad that he kind of _wanted_ Dick to be sick, just to see that gelled hair tousled and all over the place? Kid Flash sighed with content, and looked around the cave, frown gathering to his lips. The conversation over the phone with Dick hadn't lasted long, so where _was_ everybo— "Holy crap!"

A batarang was thrown at his chest. Before Kid Flash had the chance to retaliate or wonder how the hell Robin managed to find him, he had to dodge before it hit his crotch. Why was everyone _aiming for it_ today? Ugh. Rob was one step ahead, tackling the speedster to the ground and digging his hands into the lightning bolt on his chest. Everything jumbled in Kid's head as he groaned, and he yelped as the stupid utility belt dug into his waist. "_Dude!_"

Robin grinned. "Gotcha."

**xxxxxx**

**Author's Note: **

Well; I'm in a hurry and the likelihood would be I'd be posting this chapter at about midnight and then you guys would get on my case but uh. I hoped you liked it! The next chapter's very...in depth. c:

_Preview: Cool fingers inlayed against the shell of his ears until slowly, Wally pulled the sunglasses off his face._


	11. Blindfold

**Blindfold. **

Robin felt like crap.

Black Canary made them run a series of tests to record Wally's durability, agility, and whatever other ility there was in Webster's dictionary. He'd lost count after the first three knowing that his aim was off and Kid Flash kept mumbling something about 'fired at' and his 'crotch,' which led to one conclusion: Wally's crotch was on fire. The speedster had given him an odd look, but Robin decided not to question its value in favor of watching Canary make Wally run around the mountain in laps without his powers to train non-meta endurance.

Kid Flash was jumping for joy—but that was nothing new. Now that Wally could catch up with his pace, he was doing that subtle thing Robin bet he was the only one who noticed. Vibrate_._ Any time, whether it was KF or Wally West, he'd vibrate in his seat, like when they were at the hospital and his heart-rate monitor said he was flat-lining and the guy was jumping for joy over _pie. _Wally wasn't exactly known for being subtle. He was truthful, blunt, sarcastic, and totally not turbed.

So getting to the point at hand, Robin felt like pure and _utter crap_.

"Robin," Aqualad had murmured to him at about nine at night when a tired and worn Kid Flash was getting his butt handed to him by a woman wearing fishnets. They stood at the edge of the platform, Wally with a less than eager look on his face as he was repeatedly bashed in the nose by four-inch stilettos. Canary wasn't making it an easy time for him. Their leader flashed the youngest teenager a mildly worrisome look and Robin shifted uncomfortably in his position. It felt as though his utility belt was digging into his stomach with sharp edges and his uniform was becoming a second skin. "Robin, you should rest."

"Pass," he mumbled.

He wasn't exactly happy with the current circumstances. Wally had just found a way to make it incredibly difficult to keep Dick Grayson and Robin from intermingling, and Bruce just wasn't any help. Batman had only stared at him, and through a stupid batglare he could actually hear the lecture. _If you want to continue this charade with _that boy _then you can't make it look suspicious._ Two months ago he wouldn't have had as much a problem of a sleepover. All he'd need to do was keep everyone away from his shades and shove KF out of his bed when the speedster decided to act gay and play little spoon versus big spoon.

Now he was trying to make sure Wally didn't figure out who his identity was. Wally was playing Mister Vulnerable left and left some heavy dis' in the aster.

"Robin," Kaldur said—not as a leader this time, but like an older brother to a younger brother, "_Go._ Artemis and M'gann have already changed for the night and are getting ready for this…slumber party."

"S'not like I actually have any _sleepwear_." Robin stood three inches taller. He…he was acting second-in-command. And Kid Flash was his _best friend_. If there was anyone who needed to know all of Kid Flash's weaknesses and strengths, it would have to be him. Unfortunately Kaldur didn't agree with the sentiment, and—ugh, the room was kind of spinning. Three coats of sweat lathered his skin, mixing with the dirt from earlier.

"Oof!" On cue, Wally landed on his back with a groan at their feet. Bright green eyes fluttered open, lips twisted with pain. If he were Wally, Robin would have been praying to the Gods of Aster and thanking super healing. On cue his best friend blinked—once, twice—then registered the two figures in front of them with a grin. "Robby, you wanna go to the mall after this?"

Robin resisted the urge to wipe the sweat off his brow, nodding off until all he saw were three very blurry Wallys and six different eyes. "Mm. What?"

"Oh, damn." A second later, the three Wallys stood to their feet, face twisting with concern. "You don't look so—_WHOA_!"

Black Canary roundhouse kicked him. With the last of his instincts, Robin jumped three feet back before Wally could land on him. If he could have predicted the repercussions being a dizzy head, he probably would have just let Wally fall all over him. Instead, the redhead landed on his poor nose and from that three-feet jump Robin felt his perception jumping all over the place. Kaldur had a firm grip on his arm—he even felt the older teen wipe the sweat off his face like it was nothing.

"Robin," Kaldur murmured softly. "_Go._"

"_Fine_," Robin hissed. For a moment he looked around the cave without the slightest idea where he was. Was the layout like the Batcave, or the Watchtower, or…or Secret Happy Funland or what? Gathering what little rationality still rested in his stomach before he had the chance to fall over and puke, he trudged into the room, passing some green blob and hairy blond down the den into the hallway where the boy's locker room rested. Suddenly he felt like he was in gym again, back at school where he agilely dominated during dodge ball and then some. Oddly enough he was always the one picked last because he was the _best_ player.

While the Flying Graysons could have been considered 'just another circus act,' Dick still couldn't believe no one made the connection that the little acrobatic boy adopted by Bruce Wayne was also the ward to Batman. Gotham City. The supervillains had all the genius and the citizens were all idiots.

Dick peeled the mask off his face, bits of adhesive sticking to his cheekbones as he stared into the mirror. He made sure the door was locked, and suddenly all the sweat that'd gathered at his forehead was moistening the spots previously hidden away. Looking over the sink, for some reason finding it incredibly hard to breathe, he wiped—scraped off the rest.

The first of his civvies to be put on was immediately his shades, and the second to be thrown were his shoes. He unhooked every crook and nanny of the actual uniform, ripped off as if it were just a simple leotard and suddenly his muscles, slicked with sweat, were now in open air and swirling with red.

Scratch that. What felt worse than crap?

He felt like crap squared. Log-shitty-base-crap equaling _squared-to-the-squared._

Though not one to hang his head like a dead man Wally would do before collapsing on the couch, Dick peeled everything off. Ugh, how long had he been standing there, staring at the sweatshirt, jacket, and designer pants (nothing less for Bruce Wayne's son, apparently) and waiting for it to explode? Too hot. Too confining.

The only reason Bruce forced him to wear a sweatshirt was to hide muscles most thirteen-year-olds his age would kill for. Finally Dick only lamented, pulling his bag of clothes for the day (and the possible night mission), dragging them across the ground and stopping short of the locker room door. He peeled off the under armor leggings, left with nothing. He'd…figure out what the hell to do about less confining clothes later.

Civvies-Robin dressed for disguise. He _was_ supposed to be the small son of Bruce Wayne, and no one expected him to be as skilled as an Olympic gymnast. Kaldur dressed to hide his tattoos—the first most people would spot and make the connection between an 'African-American' and an Atlantean. Megan rarely left the mountain, Superboy only had one identity and Artemis had this 'bad-girl anti-hero' look that went with her.

Wally…well, like any suit and from the tech Robin read one night in the Batcave, Kid Flash's outfit was based off of Flash's. It was designed to be slick, splicing through air as quick as possible and cut back on friction. Wally when he was just Wally, on the other hand, wore baggy clothes. They were loose and flapped in the wind whenever he ran. Not as heavy as Dick's own North Place jacket and sweatshirt (_Ugh, the CONFINEMENT. _He needed to discuss with Batman with exfinement from those clothes.)

At this point Dick was considering just hot-gluing a jock between his legs and waddling start naked.

It was ten minutes into his shower that it occurred to Dick that the bathroom looked extremely dark. He blinked three times, then realize that in a habitual haste, he'd put his sunglasses on right after peeling off the mask before deciding to take a shower—which didn't help. His temperature was off the chart, but he was _shivering_, so he wasn't sure whether to shower in hot water, cold water, or some freaky hybrid. Whatever.

"_Definitely_ not feeling the aster." A groan escaped his lips before Dick tossed his sopping glasses to the floor (a move that would have cost him dearly if Batman found out), then he dragged his feet getting back into the locker room.

"_Have you seen Robin?" _Aqualad's voice.

Dick froze. He was naked, and—oh crap, his glasses were still somewhere in the shower room—

"_Yeah." _Kid Flash's voice. _"Well, not see, but I hear the shower going. Best leave the birdie or whatever to finish nesting. You know how Batman can get about the whole super-identity stuff and whatnot." _

Quickly he dressed, putting on his gymnast shirt and pants—the only thing that was meant to be breezy and make it easier to breathe. In a flash Dick turned into Robin, wiping off the steam on his glasses before pushing them up his nose.

He still felt like crap.

A knock at the door made Robin remember how his body felt drained. He leaned into the lockers, sighing contently as fiery hot skin met cold metal, and waved toward his exit. "Come in."

"_Are you…_" Kaldur's voice took a steady decrescendo. _"…decent?" _

The younger teenager only smiled. He pushed off the lockers, shoving his feet into irritating high-tops before tightly securing his glasses. It had been once when someone asked him who he really was. He'd always wondered why they never bothered to care—but when Artemis asked them nearly two months ago why no one knew who Robin was, it seemed to spark more hate in Wally's eyes. He smugly told her to shut up, Superboy glared, and Miss Martian put a hand over her lips like it was a bad word. Kaldur, respectively, had explained the current situation.

The fact no one cared that he was the only one who couldn't tell them who he was.

"I'm fine." Robin pushed off the bench, quickly taking the towel wadded up on the ground to wipe the dampness of his skin, then ruffled it through his hair.

Kaldur's head slowly crept through, eyebrows furrowed with uncertainty. His eyes fluttered back and forth, then his face contorted, grim. Robin suddenly recalled Batman's assignment over ocean anatomy in case they ever had a mission involving Atlantis. Kaldur had immediately delved into the biology of sea creatures, and a minute into their lesson Superboy declared their leader was a dolphin.

Smiley, gentle, and sensitive to anyone's needs. Their little-big Kryptonian had been set on the answer and Kaldur, while not offended because being called a dolphin was apparently an honor, was stunned to see the rest of his teammates quick to agree.

"You don't look well," he said softly. Kaldur pressed a cool hand to Robin's forehead despite his wishes. Being somewhat amphibian meant cool skin. Cool skin was _nice._

"No biggie," Robin insisted. He took a step backward, trying desperately to calm his nerves. Maybe it was a bad idea to put the gymnast clothes on. They were made to breathe and let air hit his skin while working out—but they were also without armor. He was exposed.

Their leader wasn't one to pry, but he also wasn't a dolphin that would let a problem easily escape him. Kaldur stood parallel to him, nearly twice Robin's size as an apologetic look fluttered to his features. "Forgive me. I do not mean to pry."

"I think the words you're looking for is, 'why are you whelmed more than normal, Robin.'" Robin pushed the hair from his forehead, smoothing whatever wrinkle he could find.

"I mean not to be a bother. However, the past month, your attitude has simply…morphed." The smile on Kaldur's face twisted, somewhat goofy and reminded Robin a little bit of one of Wally's Dick looks. Seeing as he wasn't getting a rise from the younger teenager, the Atlantean continued, eyes glazing with suspicion. There…hadn't been an indication, hopefully, between the relation of Dick Grayson and Robin. "…how are you adjusting?"

"Isn't that a question that I would normally ask you?" A laugh chortled from the younger teen's lips and he mounted a second time on the bench. There was a buzzing in his ear. "My methods are pretty different from yours, but trust me, I'm adjusting well to the team."

"Not just to the team," Kaldur continued, not missing a beat. He tended to be good with picking up conversations and only having to hear half. A sharp look arose in his eyes, and he leaned his head toward the side with careful curiosity. "With everything. As I have said, it is not my business to pry, but…as team leader I can only grow concerned. Is something wrong at home?"

Robin blinked. Kaldur wasn't ever one to be nosy unless the problem seemed severe, so… "_Have_…I been acting strange lately?"

It only quirked a smile across his leader's face, soft, smooth, and understanding. Maybe even a little dolphin-y. "You have been guarded, have you not?"

At that point Robin's head was spinning too fast for him to care. "What?"

"Around us. Around Wally as well." The demeanor from the other teen's face loosened, far from being laidback and brotherly and a little bit closer to grim and dutiful. Kaldur stood his ground and gestured to himself. "Last week's mission involving Riddler you paled at the thought of us trailing after one of Gotham's vicious criminals and tempted asking to be assigned to a different mission. We were down three men: Artemis, Superboy, and Kid Flash. Still, you led Miss Martian and I and almost snapped a man's collar bone when they held M'gann at hostage. You fight to defend, not to kill."

"We were down three men." He vaguely remembered the mission. Riddler thought he was doing himself a favor by going after the 'little Bat' and tried to conquer Happy Harbor. He held a woman hostage and when they switched out the victim with Megan, he held her at a gunpoint.

"You don't have to put it upon yourself to carry our weight." Kaldur only looked at him, expression firm, but hesitant, and he slowly shook his head with an equal sign of downcast. "We are a team. What is one member's weakness becomes another member's job to protect. But you, Robin—you need not to blame yourself for every little mistake."

"We lost a month with our speedster because of my stupid mistake." Because Robin let Kid Flash out of his sight for one moment after the bomb detonated. Because out of all people, Joker was the last person he would ever trust and at a hairline of relaxation, Wally nearly lost his arm.

He thought back to that night, remembering how the moment smoke cleared, he'd gone against Batman's orders, dived into the sea and pulled Kid Flash high into the surface. Wally was bigger than he was. It'd taken the strength of both him and Batman to haul the speedster on board and the only thing that ran through Robin's mind was the CPR training Alfred taught him when he turned nine. Batman was the only one there when they saw Kid Flash's body react to the gashes and flesh showing in his left arm. By the time they'd made it to a medic, the Speedster's arm was close to fully healed. Close.

All he needed to do was wait six more weeks; for muscle mass to return and for his bones to reconstruct. Something that could have been avoided if Robin hadn't…hadn't miscalculated.

"Wally blames himself as you blame yourself." Kaldur apparently didn't see his logic. Robin wasn't up to explaining his reasoning at any time. Still, the Atlantean looked to him, expression sympathetic. "Shall we talk about it?"

There wasn't much to expect when it came to talking. Robin eyed the other teenager suspiciously, but was sure his expression came unreadable to those across from him. Bruce wasn't much a talker. Dick spent most of his time growing up with the Bat and extracting cryptic messages. Bruce wanted him to come into his own person despite the strict rules that bounded him to the duties of Robin. Alfie was different. Dick was able to stand next to Alfred and spend a good four hours griping about Bruce, and Alfred never said a word. He offered ample advice, only smiling when Dick achieved something spectacular.

Roy wasn't much different. They once had an incredibly close relationship to one another—and then it shattered. He used to tell Roy everything, but coming from a nine-year-old's mouth to a fourteen-year-old's ears made the age difference hard. Roy treated him like a baby brother. Wally was normally who he ran to nowadays. Not so much as ran, he supposed, as Kid Flash pressed the problem out of him whenever Robin became too straight-laced.

But how could he tell the problem to Wally, when Wally was part of the problem?

Instead Robin stared at the teenager in front of him, lips unmoving until he ducked his head. His hair was still damp from the quick, cold shower, but quickly his body temperature was shooting up and heating his shivering body again. "I'm not allowed to take my anger out on people. It was one of the first things Batman taught me when I was little. When I can't take my anger out on people, I…I put it into being myself. Being Robin. And if I do that—focus on being Robin, then I forget about my anger."

Kaldur stood there, eyes focused until they softened. Robin continued, running a hand through his hair.

"Being Robin is relaxing," he explained. He supposed it was screwed up logic considering 'being Robin' meant dealing with the Joker, Penguin, Scarecrow, and any other villain that went to Arkham Asylum rather than a normal jail cell. How was he going to explain this to Kaldur without giving much away? Saying that Wally found him outside of YJ duties risked exposure, and Batman wasn't much help in that department. Finally, he maneuvered around his words and tugged at his gymnast clothes. "But sometimes I'm Robin so much that I…I forget I don't always have to wear the mask."

There was a silence that permeated the room while waiting for Kaldur to answer. Robin dug through his back, quick to pull out a cold water bottle and press it to his head. Somehow it made the aching lessen.

Finally their leader seemed to have found an answer. "You needn't to come to us all the time and only wear warrior paint."

"You lost me." Robin stuck to leaning against the lockers.

"Around us." Kaldur gestured to himself again, lips tight and straight and eyes flittered with concern. "Perhaps I am getting ahead of myself. Each moment you are here—as a team, each time you are with Wally, you have only smiled. The rest of the team and I…we've agreed you two share one brain." His look became wry before he continued. "We have seen you in action. Around Batman you retain your attitude, but around us—around _Wally_, you've laughed louder. You've thought on the same level, and are always at his side."

He was? Robin thought back to all their meetings together. Kaldur generally put him aside Superboy to keep their little Kryptonian at bay. Before Wally had broken his arm, he would always be in charge of guarding the victim and getting them out as soon as possible. He'd scour ahead, and Artemis became his partner because she was light enough to carry and if he were to get caught, she would shoot them long range. Kid Flash was their scavenger, Kaldur was their operating leader, he was the hacker, Artemis was their long-ranger, Miss M was stealth and Superboy was bulk.

Somehow despite their definite positions on the team, Kid Flash was first to push him out of the way if Robin couldn't get out of an attack in time. Sure, he was the only one without any powers. Superboy being their bulk and while Robin could easily defend himself, he generally held the thugs down if Robin was preoccupied with something. Nowadays all the villains were getting futuristic and techy.

"Yet lately," Kaldur continued, "You have guarded yourself. Locked away your emotions. Even in front of him."

That would have been to separated Dick and Robin. He'd never had to do it before, not to this extreme so that Wally didn't find out who he was. Robin stared at his leader in surprise, unsure of what to say. He had to be guarded around Kid Flash—reminded himself that Wally couldn't figure out who he was and the sleepover made it difficult with their small proximity. Was it _that _noticeable? How come Wally hadn't pointed it out?

"I won't question Batman's orders, for he is your mentor. However," their leader wilted with concern, eyebrows furrowed. "If you ever need someone to talk to, my door is always open."

A smile tugged across Robin's face. He mounted on the ground in a familiar crouch and allowed his shoulders to touch his ears. "You miss being an Atlantean conscience, don't you?"

"Is that what you all call it?" Kaldur's lips twisted into a small smile. He offered a hand and pulled the younger teen to his feet. "I suppose I am still getting over the dolphin comment."

"If it makes you feel better, you also sort of look like a turtle. Or a camel." Robin laughed. Once he was done, he realized the Atlantean had yet to release his hand, keeping a stable grip without once batting an eyelash. He squeezed back, smile soft, and bowed his head. "Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."

Kaldur only squeezed harder. "You and Kid Flash…we consider you two the heart of the team. If there is something wrong—"

"Don't let it interfere with the mission?"

"No. Tell us as soon as possible so we may work it out. No one on this team deserves to see pain." Kaldur offered a pointed look, and suddenly his smile widened. "We are family, are we not?"

Oh. Um. "Yeah."

Robin carried onto gathering his things and stuffing his uniform into his gym bag. Red Tornado said something about having rooms ready for Wally, Artemis and him sometime by the end of the night, so he supposed he could leave things be. Staring into the mirror Robin only grimaced. Gymnast clothes didn't go well with high tops. He shrugged them off, allowing his feet to push into the smooth flooring while Kaldur stood by silently, watching. Observing.

He assumed this meant Wally and he weren't going to get away with anything that evening. With a shrug, he struggled with a smile and pushed Kaldur out the door, following in suit with a weak cheeky laugh.

"How did he do?" They treaded down the hall, gym bag rustling between their bodies.

"At this rate, we will be spending most of the weekend testing Kid Flash's endurance and reflexes." Kaldur frowned, but it wasn't for their lack of a real mission. Robin grimaced, remembering he'd play that game specifically to avoid being in close vicinity with his best friend. It would be easier to goof off if Wally wasn't always on his shoulder and staring him straight in the eye. "T'is a pity. Wally is a runner at heart. Sitting still for him must be terrible, then keeping out of shape for three weeks was likely a strain on his body."

Not really. Wally ran up to Gotham every day just to visit Dick. Central City wasn't exactly in Gotham's backyard the same way Metropolis was. Still, Robin thought best not to voice his thoughts. He shrugged and decided to push at the subject. "Do you really consider us the heart of the team?"

They stopped in the living area—_the den_, between the couch and the kitchen. Miss Martian was doing whoknowswhat, fluttering around and probably trying her best to cook something, and Artemis and Wally sat on the couch, debating on what movie they should watch. The debate was apparently over Harry Potter versus Inception.

Kaldur nudged him in the shoulder, lips curved into a small smile. "More than you know."

Well. That was weird. The Atlantean muttered something about sitting on the couch and joining the pair. That, and deciding on a movie. Robin made a mental note later to check if Kaldur liked eating anchovies or if he was the sea version of a vegetarian.

"It's just fiction," Artemis insisted.

"It's a fiction. About _magic._ And the movies are two hours long!" Wally threw his arms in the air and shoved Inception in her face. "Look, this movie's epic, it's amazing, and it's got _science._ Ellen Page is hot! The only thing Harry Potter has to offer is Daniel Radcliffe, and I'd rather not ogle a ten-year-old boy while he's waving a stick in the air!"

"Shut up." Robin plopped between the pair on the crowded loveseat, legs touching both people before they inched away to opposite ends. Heat ran through his head again, adrenaline whirring passed his ear. Right. Still not turbed enough. "Toy Story 3."

"Toy Story 3?" Artemis stretched out her words, demeanor tightening with amusement before shrugging with content. "Sounds fine."

"Eh, sounds good to me." Wally shrugged.

Robin let out a soft groan, heat pounding his forehead as it trailed down to the tips of his fingers and squeezed his toes. He leaned against a shoulder, but he wasn't quite sure which one and buried his head into. If he…closed his eyes for a second…concentrated…he would be fine. They were team bonding.

Oh god, he really wanted some Advil.

Suddenly Robin felt a shift, and the small shoulder he'd buried his nose in—the one that smelled like green tea and lilacs—into a broader one that smelled like pizzas and apples. Red and ripe apples, if he were to be specific.

"Must be pretty tuckered out. Damn, his temperature's kinda high, too." Wally. A hand snaked through Robin's hair and he felt another shift, until his nose was buried into something hard and flat. Someone's stomach.

He couldn't breathe. Robin hadn't the slightest idea what to say or do, so he did what seemed most instinctive: wrap his arms hard and tight around the body, nose digging deep into someone's stomach and breathing in their scent.

"O-Ow! H-Hey, I've got a bruise there." Wally again. "Oh, hold on!"

Robin opened one groggy eye and found his perception off kilter through sunglasses. Wally hopped off the couch and blearily zoomed out of the room, heat forgotten. Mildly offended, the younger teen rolled over, groan escaping his lips with aching pain as he reached for the next nearest thing to embrace.

Artemis apparently left the couch and was now hovering nearby. "He's a cutie."

Megan was aww-ing. What the heck were they aww-ing at? "It's…nice," she began timidly. "Robin's normally so bouncy, sometimes I forget he's a little kid."

"I'm still awake, you know."

At that moment, there was a soft laugh and an 'eek!', which probably came from Miss M. Robin turned his head, glasses digging into his face as he buried himself into a couch cushion. There was another whistle of air, breeze picking up before he felt Wally's presence in front of him.

Wally pulled him up and Robin stared at the redheaded blob he could barely make out parallel to his form. "Close your eyes."

"Why?"

"Just do it."

Robin wrinkled his nose, but nodded slowly, shivering against cool heat. Wally's fingers traced his jaw line, and he felt fingers tangling with his sunglasses. He slapped the hand away with dizzy alert. "What are you doing?"

"Keep your eyes closed! Jeez!" An exasperated sigh escaped the other teenager's lips, but Robin did what he was told. Cool fingers inlayed against the shell of his ears until slowly, Wally pulled the sunglasses off his face. Immediately in its place—before Robin had the chance to register the fact his shades were probably halfway across the room, a cloth was over his eyes and tied securely behind his head.

"What the—"

"Promised Batman we'd blindfold you when you went to sleep, remember?" Robin couldn't see him, but he was sure Wally was grinning. He felt another swish of air, then found himself pinned to the couch, imprisoned by a large blanket with his face smushed into a pillow. "Mega-an! Make soup—actually, I'll make some soup. Some of my aunt's recipes should suit you finely, don'tcha think?"

"Nnghhrfgg." _Whatever._ At least, that was what he meant to say. He shut his eyes, feeling at peace on the lumpy couch. He could…rest his eyes…for a short second.

"So you seriously thought about ogling Daniel Radcliffe?"

"Eh, you could say I've got a thing for dark hair and blue eyes."

Robin fell asleep.

**xxxxx**

The evening obviously didn't go as planned. Wally found himself staring at Robin, sunglasses bristling in his fingers. He was torn between taking pictures of his best friend, who was ridiculously blindfolded by some weirdo anime-freak Superman scarf that he'd found in Supey's room with the big, sparkly and disturbing eyes patterned everywhere like a cutesy little boy and was currently buried under the blanket like a turtle to a really, really large shell, or leaving him be. Rob stirred maybe once or twice in the evening after 'Missy and he explained why Disney movies were so epically awesome.

Artemis still wouldn't let it go that his favorite movie was the Little Mermaid, but eh. He let it slide and they ended up snickering every once in a while when Kaldur would twitch and mumble something about an inaccurate portrayal of what Atlantis was really like. Most of the night was spent taking turns going into the kitchen to grab Robin the occasional lozenge, cough syrup, and chicken noodle soup.

They had waited between watching movies when once, Rob stirred at the scent of Campbell's signature dish. Kaldur found a lap desk (though why the heck a telekinetic Martian and a clone that easily broke a pencil if he squeezed it any tighter than its width would have a lap desk was beyond Wally's understanding) and put it out in front of the younger teen. Maybe it was a bit…_cruel_, leaving the blindfold on Robbie and making the little guy feel for the spoon—but in their defense, Rob turned out to be one of those bratty, pouty, _spoiled _kind of sick people, and thus the scalding hot liquid had been thrown at Wally's face. Scarily accurately, mind you.

Thus, the bratty, childish behavior was treated very delicately. To _avoid_ getting third-degree burns from the sick kid in a freaking _blindfold_, Kid Flash, Aqualad, and Artemis were to idly stand by—while Miss Martian telekinetically fed him with a spoon. Mission: Failure.

Then, Robby started hallucinating. A floating spoon made Robby start talking in six different languages until he settled on fluent, lightly accented French. Needless to say, Wally now vividly knew how to sing _Beauty and the Beast_ very fluently in French. And. Well. At worst, he still knew at least one word in French. Bone-jowr or something like that. It meant hi.

Oh well. French food was still okay.

Wally checked his watch with a small smile quirking his lips. Three in the morning. After Toy Story 1, 2, and 3, they'd gone onto whatever Disney movie that seemed to be stacked under the TV. First Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and then Mulan. All three girls, mind you, were very hot. Megan had gotten so tired her eyes kept drooping until everything in the living room began to float, so Artemis volunteered to escort Miss Gorgeous to her room. Kaldur worked on a different clock. Like always their fishy leader would give Robin and him a look—long and contemplative—but then his eyes began to linger on Robby. With _worry_.

Which kind of bothered Wally. After all, he thought as he wiggled out of his sleeping bag, Rob and he were best friends. If there was anything that was bothering him, then, well…Robin should have been running to _Wally._ No one else.

Finally Kaldur turned away, suddenly looking weary. By the time he was gone, it'd become the biggest _duh_ that Wally could think of. Kaldur wasn't even the right type of human. He was _Atlantean._ Whatever sickness they contracted, their leader's immune system probably wasn't ready for. He would have to make a mental note later to check up on Kaldur and see if he was okay.

"_Recognized B04: Superboy." _

Supey!

Contrary to what Wally expected to happen, neither Megan nor Kaldur burst from their rooms to greet their cute little Kryptonian. Wally stood straighter in the kitchen, fervent grin spread across his face, but he couldn't help himself to zoom through the room onto the deck where the entrance lay.

There stood their Kryptonian, back turned to some blurry blue thing on the other side of the gate. They must have noticed his presence by now, considering he was standing on top of the glowing platform and bouncing in spot.

From behind, Superboy looked…well. Healthier. Calmer. Wally smiled calmly, eyes scrutinizing the body in front of him from head-to-toe. Superboy's shoulders no longer jutted out with stiff authority. He didn't look like the spectacle Cadmus made him out to be, and…well. Was that a smile?

Finally, he turned his head, directing attention away from the zeta-beam entrance to reveal, Supette was most definitely on the other side of their entrance. His blue eyes trailed across the ground, lips shrinking nonchalantly before his entire focus landed at the center where Wally stood.

The redhead waved and smiled. "Hey."

The only response he received was a small nod. Well, it was an improvement from Supey simply walking through everything like a bulldozer. Hesitantly, the taller teen's lips curved—not so much a smile, but definitely far from a frown—as he gestured for the speedster to step forward.

He didn't need to think twice before jumping three steps and zipping next to the Super Cousins. He thought for a moment in his sprint—was Supey _Conner_ now, or was he still just Supey? Oh well, there was Supergirl.

"Hey." Maybe he was a little biased in his opinion by saying Dick Grayson was the cutest thing in the US of A, but she came as a close second. Pretty blond hair, second-most-gorgeous blue eyes in the universe, and a smile with full lips any model would kill for. Her uniform was torn, tattered, and the cape looped around her shoulders looked like it'd seen better days.

Then Wally looked to the right where Superboy stood and noticed all of the smears and burnt marks that tarnished his skin. The Supey t-shirt had been ripped into tiny pieces, emblem indefinitely gone except for the small patch of red on his chest, and he was missing a boot. Yet somehow, both Kryptonians' hair still had the moisture and volume Wally had seen them with the last time.

Which, incidentally, would have been three weeks ago when the whole Conner thing came up.

"Okay." The redhead looked back and forth, hands on his hips. "Either you two got into a freaky fight with Amazo again or you Kryptonians have some serious tough love issues."

Despite the snide remark, he didn't miss the way Superboy's lips twitched at the 'Kryptonian' comment or the way the taller teen seemed to stand three inches taller with pride. Supergirl and he shared the same smile.

"Superboy and I," Supette started. Her voice was fuzzy through the buzz of the portal, "Have been sparring. Silly."

"Oh." That was enough a reason for Wally to brighten, smile on his face as he nudged Supey in the arm with his elbow. "Cool."

"She's been teaching me more about my powers." Superboy turned his head back to his cousin, and for some time his expression was readable—admirable. It was really hard getting Superboy to show his feelings outside of their circle of friends because really, the guy had the social elegance of a vacuum cleaner. Extra points for Wally considering the guy also slept in a closet. When he didn't answer, Superboy interpreted it as something else. He looked to the shorter teenager, expression tight but not offended. "I still can't fly."

"Leaping from tall buildings is still cool." Wally grinned like the first time they met when they'd soared up the elevator of Cadmus Labs.

"Most definitely," Supergirl nodded, expression as gentle as her cousin's. From that view it was kinda funny—Supey and Supette looked close to nothing alike, but the same gleam twinkled in their eyes; the same shade and everything. Her demeanor wilted hesitantly, apologetic smile across her lips as she reached toward the portal—then stopped. Hand curling into a fist she pressed it hard against her chest with a small smile. "I've…got league business."

Superboy's face twisted like an injured golden retriever (erm, black Labrador?), before he nodded.

"You should come in and give Supey a hug," Wally said brightly. He stood at the tip of his toes and leaned against the taller teen. "Then we can have our…_race._"

There was that look again. The one Supergirl would give him, wry and cute all the same before she shook her head and took a step back, expression turning grim. "Superman…he doesn't know that I do this. That I've been training him. I'm sure he realizes that I know he's been keeping Superboy a secret, but…not this. Not training."

"What are you gonna do about it?" Oddly enough it was Wally's maternal instincts that were acting up. Mm, maternal? Maybe paternal—or, or, fraternal, considering the circumstances. Supey, after all, _was_ younger. He was a big-little brother. Then—oh shit. Wally cringed as the realization found him. "I…might have mentioned it to Batman. In passing. Erm, today."

Yeah. Super Cousins looking at him with an expression worthy of a batty cowl? Not so good; especially when one half probably _had_ heat vision.

"That…," she deduced slowly, taking few, flighty and party steps back, "is probably why he wants to see me."

"Batman is nice though," Superboy immediately quipped. His chest jutted out before dipping slightly, reluctance fluttering across his features as his eyebrows knit together. "Will you be alright?"

"He is nice," Supergirl repeated. Looking at the scene—back and forth, Wally failed at hiding a faint smile. They may have been Super Cousins, but it was obvious Supette had been treating Supey like a young, sweet little brother. Erm. Big-little brother. He still had half a head over her. Her lips curved upward and this time she did reach out, faintly hovering a millimeter before the portal. "Next week?"

Supey really did look good with a smile. It looked like a struggle between sad black Lab and a golden smile not very many people got the honor to see. "Next week."

"Bye Conner." The entrance whirred again, dimming after Supergirl took her ascent in the sky, climbed into clouds and—well, she _was_ indestructible. Probably didn't even need to use a zeba-tube to get to the Watchtower.

They must have stood there for a good five minutes just staring at the entrance. Wally stared at the taller teen from his peripheral, watching the demeanor contort—the one he always held with hopeful black Lab-puppy eyes before Superman went AWOL with some lame excuse. Again. This time, however, it was different. After the sad-puppy eyes, Superboy…smiled. Like, he couldn't wait for the next time Kara visited kind of smile.

"Conner?" The name left Wally's mouth before he had the chance to collect his thoughts. He grinned, one foot in the direction of the living area as they began a route toward the den. "Do we get to call you that now?"

Per se, Superboy's face didn't exactly twist into a frown. His expression fell short of a blank look, and Wally would have bet that Batman taught him how to look like that. Finally as they made it pass the threshold of the next room, Wally decided to whip through the kitchen and reheat the lasagna; leftovers rationed for Robin if he woke up and Superboy if he turned up.

Needless to say, after Rob yanked Wally's shirt with a bratty growl (one wonder boy probably wouldn't even remember in the morning) and dropped scalding hot chicken noodle soup between his chest and shirt, they decided against feeding Rob again. After giving him the first meal, anyway.

Superboy only looked at the food, mild surprise running across his features.

"Yeah, yeah." Wally smiled brightly and pushed his chest out. "We _all_ made dinner tonight. In the middle of a sleepover, actually. Well. Until Robin came down with that nasty strep—probably should have kept a better eye on him."

"And Batman didn't come by?"

"Batman's currently preoccupied with your cousin." Wally raised his voice before lowering it. A shiver ran down his spine, fearful of what Robin would do to him if he interrupted the boy's sleep. Did birdies hibernate for the winter? Erm. He returned to the situation at hand, smiling languidly as Superboy's eyes trailed to the static on the television screen. Wally had been too lazy to get up and shut the TV off.

Finally the taller teen found a topic. "She asked me about you."

The redhead perked his ears, eyebrows rising along with a smile across his face and he leaned back, waist pressed against the counter. "Really?"

"Told her you were taken by your dick."

"_What_?" Oh god. No way—no, _freaking way_—

"Kidding." Then out of nowhere, Superboy smiled, broad but shy as his gaze fell over the shorter teen's head. Um, _whoa._ It wasn't so much a _hardiharhar_, but that was definitely a joke Supey just cracked. His very third one, if Wally wasn't mistaken.

"Then, uh." Wally couldn't help but stare at the guy. Was this the same Supey that would have loud rampages, thrashing everything in his sight? The broody scary guy that, like, had Superman's looks, but Batman's broody personality? "What did you tell her?"

"That…" Supey's voice assuaged, eyes glazing a darkened blue. "You were in love."

Oh. Erm. It'd been a subject that crossed his mind once or twice since Barry's Speedster Sex Education talk in the Watchtower, but he hadn't mentioned it. Not…not even to Rob. Wally stared at the other teen. He wouldn't have been surprised if his cheeks were as red as his hair.

"Super hearing," Superboy responded like it explained everything. It kinda did.

"Well…um." Wally ran a hand through his hair, whirling around until he faced the stove where the lasagna was boiling at an agonizingly slow pace. It was hard to keep his thoughts in order—really hard, considering Superboy was just staring at him and probably expecting something stupid or interesting to come out of his mouth. Wait, were you even supposed to boil lasagna? "I kind of got rejected. So…yeah."

"She said she'd still pursue you," Superboy continued offhandedly. From the corner of his eye Wally saw that Supey had returned to his cardboard-stiff stature. His arm twitched, and suddenly they were folded together; acknowledging and indifferent. "I told her you were off limits."

Um. So, one eye definitely had to be bigger than the other on his face. Wally stared at the other meta, green eyes meshing against blue eyes as he twisted, back against the stove as he tried to pull apart every possible meaning of Superboy's words. However…they were kinda just really blunt. "That's sort of. Um. Supey, this is the part where you say that _Kara_ is off limits to _me._"

Superboy stared at him. Like, _really_ stared at him. Oh god, it was the whole, 'boyz can lyk boyz and grlz can lyk grlz 2' lesson all over again. Wally wanted to die. "Why?"

Actually, why was he putting it out there? If Wally said any more, he was basically signing his own death sentence since Supey could probably choke him between his middle and index finger. "Because she's a _girl_? I might _take advantage of her_? I mean, I wouldn't, but…yeah."

At that thought Supey looked contemplative. Finally it turned as wry as his cousin's, freaky resemblance returning before he lifted a brow in the air. "She's a girl with super strength and super speed and probably has a better chokehold than Black Canary. _Probably_."

"Um."

"You're small. She wouldn't have to so much lift a finger before breaking your spine—let alone blink." He offered a pointed look, this time more authoritative and—whoa, whoa, when did _he_ become the little brother? Even worse, Superboy was looking at him like he was the _baby sister._ "She could snap your spine in half. I forbid you to see her."

There really wasn't much way to get out of this conversation while keeping his pride. Wally stared at Supey, waiting for something witty to pop into his head—and couldn't. Finally he pulled the lasagna off the stove and returned to the first subject. "Conner. That's what Sup…_Kara's_ calling you, right?"

Fortunately that saved what little pride was still hanging between Wally's legs. Superboy looked at him, half a glare as if annoyed Wally had changed the subject, but not angry. Finally it softened and he looked down to the ground like a little boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "Yeah."

"Conner. Con. _Conner._" A sigh of relief trickled from Wally's lips and he sung the name over in his head. Cognitional Neuroplastic Replicant. Sure, it spanned from the fact Supey was a science experiment, but…well. Being a science experiment, there could have been worse names. There was no way they were gonna put Supey through the torture being named 'Albert' or 'Thomas', or even 'Eli.' Geniuses at their time, but they weren't names that fit their big-little brother. Robin was good with wordplay, too. Wally knew he wouldn't have been able to pull 'Conner' out of CNR. "I think it suits you."

"We…talked about it," Superboy muttered back quietly.

That wasn't very reassuring or warm like all the other idolizing looks Supey had sported. Wally frowned. "What's wrong?"

Again they were silent, the static of the TV being the only thing heard during the night. Finally the taller teen closed his eyes, coming to an acceptance as his Adam's apple bobbed up and down. "I didn't think I'd ever get a name."

"That doesn't mean you don't deserve one." Wally wasn't exactly good at comforting. He tried for a smile, but couldn't find anything that would make sense to Supey. Another thought crossed his mind and—_duh_. They weren't just going to slap Superboy with a name and just suddenly call him that. "It _really_ suits you, Supey."

"Do you think he would approve of it?" He, meaning Superman.

Wally opened his mouth to speak once more, but was rendered speechless.

Superboy continued, expression tightening. "Supergirl…Kara told me what she did. Told me about her life, and the fact she and Superman both had a secret identity—a secret life so that way, this—" He gestured to the ragged 'S' on his chest. "—isn't all the worth everyone sees them for."

He fell silent for a long time and Wally thought best not to interrupt him.

"If I accepted that name—something that you…and Robin came up for me. And…this team. I'd give anything for this team." Superboy turned his head until it met the couch. Robin hadn't moved an inch. "What happens if he comes back? If he tells me…I can't be Conner?"

There were about twenty forethoughts that kicked into Wally's brain, but he decided not to vocalize any of them. Instead, his fingers reached for the knob to turn the stove off, stomach bubbling as he tried to come up with a better explanation. He wasn't a cryptic, like Batman was, but he wasn't as smooth a talker as Uncle Barry. He— "Superman is a jerk." —really, _really_ had a bad habit of tripping over his words.

He expected Superboy to jolt and pummel him into the ground. Instead Supey stood there, still lost in his own thoughts. Kaldur would have been a better choice—the _Atlantean conscience_, as Rob called it—and Rob knew how to be tactless without striking a nerve. Needless to say, Wally currently failed at both.

"Dude," he continued almost inaudibly, trying hard to control his voice, "we freed you. Let you out of that freaky tube and, well—you're our bro. We don't see you as a human weapon. Just—just yourself."

"And what is…," Superboy said slowly, obviously ridiculing the thought before Wally had the chance to process it. "'_Myself_'?"

Wally laughed. "You're…Superboy, the guy who can form a crater beneath his feet. The person who puts a stable hand on Megan before she floats out of the atmosphere. The…the guy who stands between 'Missy and me before we get into another fight and before Kaldur has to raise his voice. The guy who…who _could_ snap someone's neck but doesn't 'cause it's against his morals, and see? You've got morals." Offering the best, '_duh_,' look he could but falling short of the right amount of Robin, Wally grabbed the pot from the stove and waved it in front of Superboy's chest. "You've gotten soft, Supey. For a _good _reason_._"

There wasn't a response. It was one of those moments again, where there was too much at once for the poor guy to process since he was like, _seven months old. _

"Tell you what," Wally said, never one to like awkward silences. He bit back the gnawing feeling in the back of his throat in favor of patting Superboy on the shoulder. "This identity thing is going to get to you, isn't it? Next month…come spend Thanksgiving with my folks. As…As Conner, or Will Smith or Thomas Edison—because to us, you're more than just the Project: Superboy, okay?"

"You don't mind?" Superboy certainly wasn't taking this news in a good light. Not a bad one either—just, _really, really _confused.

"Three speedsters. They make about three times as much food just to saturate my belly." Wally smiled cheerfully and gestured to his stomach. "Allow me to Christian you into a West-Allen Thanksgiving, Sup…Con…_Superboy_?"

All the poor guy wanted was to be accepted. A little smile etched Superboy's lips a moment or two later, gentle and benign. "I like Conner."

"And you'll come over for Thanksgiving?"

"I'll think about it." The taller teen paused. "I don't exactly have any other plans, unless Amazo suddenly collapses the mountain."

"Great." Wally grabbed a spatula from the drawer and sped to the cabinet for a plate. He scraped lasagna onto the plate and jabbed it flamboyantly down the hall. "Now go get changed. This'll be all nice and zesty by the time you get back."

Superboy nodded slowly (and, well, they still hadn't quite figured out what to call Supey, so…yeah) before fixating his sight back onto the couch. He didn't say a thing.

"Robin," Wally voiced for him. He smiled casually and shrugged. "I'm…well, I don't get sick easily. Immune system pretty much cancels out any viruses before I can get sick. So, I've been taking care of hi—"

"Is that my scarf?"

"Erm. Well, it's not like you were going to wear it."

Hopefully even Superboy realized the insanity of wearing one of these creepy-Japanese things. Supey slowly nodded before turning around, fully, and trekking down the hall. Once he was gone, Wally realized that the four hours had passed, and it was definitely time for Robin to take his medicine again.

He set the table, grimacing slightly at the thought of a bratty Rob, then sped back to the couch. Robby was…well, Rob was awake, fondling the air to figure out where his glasses were. "Morning, Sunshine."

"Why am I blindfolded?" Boy Wonder's voice was croaky and raspy, thin and weak from the ceaseless coughing that happened through the movie night. He doubted Rob was even over the fever.

"Promised Batman that we'd blindfold you during the sleepover. Personally, _I_ think that's the reason why he let you stay." Wally flashed the thousand-watt grin Rob was too feverish and tired to see, then fell to his knees, hand covering his best friend's.

Robin's hands weren't small and dainty, like a girl's. They were square—maybe a little bony, and were callused. Before tonight Wally couldn't remember seeing Rob's hands. Bare and all. He supported the back of the raven-haired teen's head, fingers sliding up his neck until they were meshed in dark locks. The other hand held a large spoon that the speedster carefully filled with icky cough-drop medicine.

"Here," he whispered slowly. "Take this."

Needless to say, Rob's entire body felt as tense as Superboy always stood. A hand jutted out—but thank god the feverish birdie lacked any _depth perception_ with his eyes shut away. Wally caught his breath, the warmth of Rob's neck tingling at the tips of his fingers, and slowly—smoothly, Robin ran hands up Wally's arm—the one that used to be broken—until the heel of his palm rested on Wally's wrist bone.

The other hand dug into his flesh, and slowly, Rob slipped the spoon of icky syrup from Wally's grasp and put it between his lips. He mumbled something incomprehensible under his breath.

"Um, what?"

"This stuff tastes like crap." And with that, Robin collapsed again, burying himself under the blankets without so much of a 'thank you,' but it was better than soup down Wally's pants. Only…with one more problem. The redhead gave a light tug to the hand captured between Rob's callused fists, but even asleep the guy had a death grip. He was stuck.

And there was _no way_ Robby was still awake.

"Wally."

"Eep." Wally jumped three feet in the air before glaring at—well, _Robby_, but the guy couldn't see him. "Don't _do_ that."

Robin ignored him, voice falling into its rawest, tiniest octave. Wally could feel fingernails digging into his flesh. "…hold my hand until I fall asleep?"

Oh. "Sure." God, why was he playing Mom today? That was Kaldur's job. A small smile looped his lips, and he reached over as flexibly an inflexible person such as himself could to drag his sleeping bag closer to the couch. Something told him Robin wouldn't be letting go anytime soon. "Rob? Robby? Hey…_Rob…_You asleep yet?"

No answer.

He forgot how…inexplicably _cute_ Rob could be when he wasn't talking. How many barriers, anyway, did Robin lift just to hold his hand? Wally grinned. "Rob…you're so cu—"

"_Shut up_ _so I can sleep!_" 

…Too bad he couldn't tell if that was the fever talking. Sick Robin was just as scary as healthy Robin. _Yikes._

**xxxxxx**

**Author's Note: **

Um, just for the record; thanks for the reviews and I know you guys get enthusiastic for these updates, but I'd appreciate not getting threatened if I don't update any sooner. Once a week, _every Friday_. You're also looking at an author on the YJ Anon Meme that's taken up five…six? Ish requests on the anon_meme, along with the stories I've already got up plus another one because. Well. You never have too much Bart/Tim in the world. C': Yeah, I'm stupid. Oh well. The review wall is going to be down for a little bit; I'm kind of winded and sifting through writing. Anyway; woo 300 reviews! Thanks guys!

_Preview: "People say that if you can marry your best friend, then you're set for life."_


	12. Joker

**Joker. **

"So what do you think of the costume?"

"It's kind of…"

"Big? Small? _Smallbig?_"

Dick stared at the teddy bear currently jutted out onto the stage thanks to one Wally West. He nearly dropped the script, falling into routine like the past couple weeks where Wally happily barged through the doors of Gotham Academy without a visitor's pass and waited for him to be done with the rehearsal. Act 2, Scene 14.

That had been the one his best friend couldn't choose to outerrupt—the one where for the first time, Eros and Psyche would be meeting and declaring their love for each other. Or something. He was pretty sure Alexander (their student director) was trying to put a musical number in just to tick Dick off. Alexander wasn't exactly thrilled that Dick would basically have Alexa in his hands like Casanova and kissing her for a good 79% of the play.

Luckily before Alexander could start debating over what pop music they should use—Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, or Jesse McCartney—Wally burst through. With a freaking _teddy bear._ Dressed in…in…

"Oh, yeah. The utility belt isn't the right shade, is it?" Wally waved the teddy bear around, and Dick did a quick check of what the speedster was standing on since the stage was around seven feet off the ground. Nothing less for Gotham Academy. The redhead continued his scrutiny, holding the teddy bear dressed as Robin high in the air as he scrunched his nose. "Yeah. And the cape's not the right proportions."

"You know the proportions of Robin's cape?" A Robin-esque smirk threatened to cascade across Dick's face, but he refused the gesture, only thankful when Alexander called a break.

"Well," Wally paused, then stuffed the bear between his arm and hip. A gleam fluttered in his eyes—a Kid Flash, _I'm-about-to-try-a-play-on-words-and-be-cryptic_ gleam that would have worked if it wasn't for the fact Dick knew close to every one of the speedster's secrets. He, after all, was the one who filled in all the gaps to Batman's files when it came to the Flash duo. "I actually used to hate Robin when I was a little kid."

"_Really_," Dick drawled, and it was one of those double-sided comments that played as an insult for one identity and a compliment for the other. He sat at the edge of the stage, not at all reluctant of the height gap between the floor and his feet. Wally still had to look up to him.

"Got on my nerves. Hated the fact that everywhere I turned on the street when my mother would take me to school, all you heard was _Robin, the Boy Wonder._" Suddenly Wally paused, and it was a Dick-look he always dreaded getting. The redhead opened his mouth to speak in a small oval, eyes casted toward the polished wooden stage before he closed his mouth. Apparently he wasn't going to say it.

However, being raised by the World's Greatest Detective tended to have some irritating side-effects. Dick tilted his head, and innately as he'd adopted the past couple weeks, responded for Wally. "Your mother?"

Wally flashed this strained, weird look where one eyebrow would raise half a quarter, then one side of his lips would curl upward. His green eyes turned to glass, held tilted to the side like, _'You figured it out_,' but not at all did he look offended. "Learned to deal with it. 'sides, it was mostly jealousy. Somehow nowadays all imagine is Robin sleeping in a nest or something sitting on eggs. You know. What actual robins do."

"Haha. You're funny." From the corner of his eye, Dick saw Alexander hold up two fingers. Not even the Golden Boy of Gotham could get away with taking a break from their school play. Not for too long. He pushed the Als far from his mind when Wally's eyes started trailing further to the stage, probably to Alexa. His eyes fell to the teddy bear. "Is there a reason why Robin, the Bear Wonder is currently here with us?"

"Duh. Gift for you." Before Dick had the chance to protest, Wally hoisted himself on stage. He took the moment the redhead tried to get settled without using super speed to actually look at his best friend head-to-toe. Wally wasn't buff. Far from it, really, considering he was a runner rather than a fist-fighter. Artemis called him a human cannon bolt, and Wally tended to be creative with the ways he tripped villains.

"Why a gift for me?"

Wally gave him another look, green eyes turning into glass (_what did that mean_, Dick wondered, but figured KF would vent to Robin a little bit later in the day), then smiled his normal, goofy smile. For some reason at that very moment it registered in Dick's mind that their knees were touching. "Strep. Remember?"

Oh, crap. Dick searched through every Dick-Wally mishap that happened before going to Mount Justice the following weekend. It was…was _Tuesday_, and none of his teammates would look him in the eye anymore without glaring in some form. Upon leaving for Gotham Sunday night after every single one of Wally's tests were through, he'd picked up a can of Campbell's and the speedster ran off screaming about soup shoved down his shirt.

Then…right. Phone conversation, _Friday afternoon_, and right after school when Wally went to check on him.

"Sure," Dick smiled brightly, noticing that Alexander was now prodding a timer and glaring like a bad impersonation of the Batman. Initially that day—when Wally got to put the uniform back on, all grins and actually able to test out of his abilities, the idiot called Dick_—in the middle of training_, no less—and kept a conversation going.

Maybe it had been his fault for answering Wally's sweet-yet-really-awkward texts with a phone call, just to reiterate that he _did not get sick. _He told himself thousands of times that it was just to track Kid Flash down because speedsters moved too fast to leave a trace—and he was still a little confused over the footsies-eyesies-elbows debate and flirting.

However. "Don't you owe me soup, too?" He did remember Wally promised if Dick got sick then Wally would bring stuffed animals and soup. Bruce nearly throttled him and forced Dick to stay home all of Monday. Something about…well, he kinda tuned Bruce out. Left and right he was getting really tired of cryptic messages from people.

On cue Wally shivered, expression paling to a bed sheet's white. "How about cake instead? Pie? I can make you pie."

"Bad experience with soup?" Surely _one_ of their teammates would tell them what the heck had happened. And—well, Alexander was glaring at him even longer now, and Dick did the first thing that came to mind. To, well, keep up the charade that he still liked Alexa and desperately needed to keep his role as Eros.

Dick pushed Wally off the stage. "OW!"

Biting back a snicker as the redhead landed on his nose, Dick fluidly left the mount he positioned himself in, grabbed the script he dropped to the ground, and pressed up close to Alexa, breathing in the scent of roses and daffodils. Their shoulders touched and he 'shyly' asked to share a script. Brother Al wasn't very happy. Sister Al still kept looking over to Wally, _ogling_ him as the redhead sat dead center, hands messing with Robin, Bear Wonder.

Ugh. If Dick heard one more time how sexy and _mature_ Wally was from one of the girls on set, he was going to shoot himself.

It was the third time Alexander called for a five-minute break that Dick grabbed a water bottle and made his way to Wally. Alexa grabbed his wrist, pulling him tightly back (and well, Dick found out the hard way that even though girls were dainty, if you didn't listen when they beckoned for you, their foot would find a nice home in your gonads) and whispered in his ear. Wally probably noticed.

"It's Artemis Crock!"

Um. Dick blinked, eyes slowly turning until they narrowed to the long blond ponytail that unmistakably belonged to their archer. No good. On occasion Wally's eyes would dart his way at a speedster's pace—something that went unnoticeable unless you were Robin, and then to Artemis, who had a hand extended, _politely_ as possible to 'some redhead kid in the center row.'

Wally stood up from his seat, and there was a somewhat noticeable height difference between both fifteen-year-olds. Somewhat. The speedster only had an inch or two over her, and he pulled his, _'I-so-hate-you-right-now_' smile as he extended his own hand.

"Guess they know each other," Dick said. He was sure a bit of his sarcasm was dripping through.

Then out of nowhere, Robin remembered if it was one thing Wally held himself by, it was sportsmanship. Artemis, too. That strained smile slowly twisted, casual, then into a smirk. Artemis cracked a mischievous grin that would put the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland to shame. They were getting into one of their annoying lovebird, y_ou're-so-annoying_ banter moments, from the way Artemis had her hands on each hip and Wally with his arms crossed.

Alexa giggled despite the fact Alexander had been calling their names with exasperation. Their five minutes were up again. "They look good together."

Hm. Dick took that into consideration. It was one of the weapons Robin used so many times to make Wally wig out and throw entertaining fits. Yet somehow—

Wally's mouth fell open and Artemis laughed—something familiar and resonating, but quiet enough only Dick knew the reason behind.

—the fact someone else recognized their relationship dynamic, for a moment, made Dick unreasonably dislike Artemis the same way he disliked Supergirl. Heavy on the dis.

**xxxxx**

Typical routine. Flo's Dining. Homework. Walk in the park, arcade, ice cream—_whatever. _The general idea was that Wally had gotten into the habit of picking Dick up from school and they would hang out. Dick forced out little things he 'noticed' about Alexa (Behavioral Analysis 101, after Bruce assigned him to study body language in preparation for interrogating suspects, criminals, etc), and Wally either gave real advice, or whatever came to mind if what the younger teen said went one ear and out the other. Dick pretended to listen; tried not to roll his eyes because now, Wally really _was_ spending time flirting with girls.

And Artemis was with them.

"You did the equation wrong."

"I _did not_!" Pause. "Oh. Guess I did."

Dick refused the urge to roll his eyes and snub them. To say that 'Missy and Wally were a romantic couple would have been incredibly inaccurate. To say that they acted like an old married couple seemed shrewdly perfect. Artemis gave him looks as they waited for Bianca to return with the proper order. He could have counted on both toes and hands how many times Wally's attention darted from school work to boobs and how every three seconds he'd come up with a new order for Bianca to run. She didn't seem to mind.

And while she did that, Artemis still looked at Dick—observant and wise, making his skin bristle. He assumed she hadn't figured out the link between Robin and Dick just yet, otherwise her lips would have curled into a knowing smirk the way Robin always pictured 'Missy's lips would, and Wally wouldn't be talking to him anymore. However, she must have figured out _something_, and judging from the way her lips were pulled into a discreet frown, it wasn't a good something.

What really made the Dick disguise work and easy to downplay compared to Wally and Artemis was the fact everyone expected him to be cocky and arrogant. He was _Bruce Wayne's _ward, and not only did people expect him to be smug and haughty, but to be brought up with a pedigree. Dick only obligated the latter—mostly because Alfred and Bruce locked him in a room and made him study months at a time different subjects pertaining to Batman's enemies.

Physics, briefly, math, chemistry—he wasn't as good at Wally knowing how to deconstruct particles of Ammonium Boride or whatever, but he did have the school's best average. It helped to be humble. Climbing through the years from elementary school to middle school meant, to be Robin, Dick couldn't afford anything less than an A on a paper. He just made it easy by acting humble and very sweet—with a twist of flirting once in a while. _Training_, or whatever you wanted to call it. Dick saw why Wally thought it was fun. Fortunately 98% of the time when he hit on a girl he didn't receive the loud slap Wally tended to get when he came on too strongly.

"Yeah?" Dick hoped he was blushing. Bright pink, specifically, on the other side of the table while Wally lazily had his arm sprawled on the banister and the other holding a pencil carefully between his fingers. He tapped his chin nervously and—well, he _was_ nervous. Wally was currently poking his leg with his foot, and Artemis was trapped against the wall.

"You want girl advice, right?" She smiled the same casual smile Artemis always got whenever tending to Megan's needs.

Dick shifted uncomfortably.

"He's got _me_ for girl advice." Wally looked up from his homework, lividly offended before his eyes settled onto the large slab of cake at the edge of the table. Green eyes looked back to Dick, suddenly calm with one of his hesitant Dick-smiles. "This the cake you recommended to me?"

"It's got Oreos in it—"

"Say no more!" The redhead licked his lips, sprawled over their litter of text books, and grabbed a spoon. Somewhere through all of it, Dick noticed from the crevasse under the table that Wally's hand had clasped over Artemis's. Dick could only stare, eyes boring holes for three more minutes while Wally's hand seemed to tighten. Artemis didn't mind. "What are you—oh."

They may have pulled their hands away, but the usual snarkiness that went along with it wasn't there. Robin remembered seeing it once—it was one of those awkward, not _ick_ moments, where it was humiliating over embarrassing. This was…flustery.

Dick stood from his spot.

Wally looked at him curiously, a flicker of uncertainty sparking in his eyes and brow furrowed a tiny millimeter. "Bathroom?"

"Bathroom." Sometimes he knew Wally too well. Forcing a smile, Dick treaded down the hall, deviously sidestepping Shelly and Bianca as they soared from the kitchen with serving trays and twenty plates. He pressed his back against the wall, waited, then pushed into the bathroom.

It was really irritating; his getting incredibly annoyed at Wally and getting annoyed at girls that were supposed to be his friends.

Maybe he was being too lenient. Hum. Dick rubbed his chin thoughtfully, washing jittery hands in the grimy bathroom sink before treading back to the door. This friendship was working, but supposedly, if he got hung up with _Alexa,_ then Wally could disappear and they didn't have to worry. Maybe then, his secret identity would just become a feeble part of Wally's memory.

Only, Wally wasn't exactly someone who forgot a face. The guy's brain basically worked like one of Robin's super-charged computers, and Dick wasn't sure Robin could endure watching Wally wallowing in misery. Especially if his feelings were as deep as Dick was afraid they were.

A groan escaped Dick's lips as he pushed through the door and into the hallway. Artemis was there to meet him.

They stopped at the juncture; the small hallway that exited the front, and Dick looked inquisitively to their archer. She scrutinized him, head to toe, and he felt the tingling begin at his hairline and fall between his toes. Robin would have been stupid if he didn't expect the cleverness in Artemis's character. It was still a little sketchy between Roy and Artemis—they didn't even use the same fighting styles. What they did share that their mentor lacked was morality and common sense.

Dick blinked, staring in surprise and feigned stupidity. He shifted between his feet, taking note of her body language and clinging onto the bathroom door and kept his look. She looked wary in the Gotham Academy uniform. He smiled shyly. "You're pretty."

"Thanks." Artemis flat-lined. It was the same voice she would always use when Kid Flash was trying to make a compromise. It felt like an eternity, Dick's fingers falling asleep as they stayed at the hinge on the door while Artemis followed with a side-glance to the front where Wally dissected the menu of deserts.

Dick would have bet his utility belt that Wally'd already have everything on the menu at least twice.

"Don't hurt him, okay?"

He nearly jumped when their silence was broken, blue eyes flickering back to Artemis's with surprise. It was a gift, to catch _him_ off guard. Not very many people left him speechless. Artemis apparently didn't get the memo. "What do you mean?"

Her gaze softened, tiny frown working across her lips. "Maybe you're a little too young to understand—" Dick twitched. He hated it when people blamed all of his problems on his age. "—but he really cares about you. And you know about it, don't you?"

"What do you mean?" Dick feigned innocen—

"_Please_." Artemis smirked gently and shook her head. Normally she was only hostile toward Wally, and it would only be when he was wearing on her last nerve. "I may have gone to Gotham North, but you're considered the _golden boy_ of Gotham. Everyone knows that you're Bruce Wayne's son—"

"Adopted son."

"—and give or take, I'm guessing you've got a lot more common sense than he does, too." She sobered, body stance slacking as she looked back to the table. Wally had noticed they were talking. _Great._ "Look. I…had to earn his respect. Sometimes I wonder if I actually have it—and then he just proves to me, that he _always_ has my back. Wally may be a goofball, but then he puts a lot of trust and faith into his friends. He's an idiot that way."

"He is an idiot," Dick agreed silently. It didn't lull her. He didn't need someone to shove it in his face about Wally's qualities—him, out of _anyone_, knew Wally better than anyone.

Artemis didn't go into a raging rampage, but her look tensed and she looked to him, expression grim and concerned. "Wally values his friends. Once you're his friend, you're his friend for _life._ But…he sees you differently. And you know it. Go all you want talking about your little girlfriend, but…understand that the more you do, the more you're going to hurt him."

"What makes you the expert on relationships?" Dick's hand slipped off the handle of the bathroom door and he quickly recollected himself.

"I—_You_ see the way he looks at you." Artemis shrugged, gaze still lowered and monotony lacking in her voice. She was serious. "And the way you look at him. When it comes to Wally and someone he really likes—he can get over it pretty easily. It can go over his head, but—"

"I don't want a lesson from you." Dick turned his head, eyes narrowing toward Wally's, but once he did, he felt his heart freeze. Green eyes looked back to him, worried and cautious, with fingers tapping the table at super speed. He'd meant to say something to defend Wally—to point out that Artemis was wrong because Robin knew Wally better than _anyone_—and couldn't. His throat fell dry, and his mind blanked.

"But," Artemis continued, "you're different." She sidestepped, veering into his line of vision and purposely blocked their line of sight from one another. Dick had no choice but to look her in the eye. "For some reason, Grayson, he thinks you're different—and like I said. I know your type. Whatever he says to you—even if he doesn't pursue you because of your leading lady, you're breaking his heart. Even if you think you're not leading him on, you're still leading him on."

Dick fought the urge to clench his fists. "What do you think makes me different?"

It made a smile quirk across her lips. Artemis's hand twitched and she backed away slowly toward the girl's restroom adjacent to the boy's. Her hand pressed against the handle and they shared the same looks as they carried over to Wally. His demeanor had fell bleak, frown spread across his lips. If one more relaceptive minute passed by with neither of them reaching a stalemate, Dick had a feeling Wally was going to intervene.

"I dunno, honestly." For the final time, Artemis interrupted him from his thoughts, expression softening again. "But even that idiot needs to be happy." She disappeared into the bathroom before Dick had a chance to protest.

It wasn't like he hadn't heard any of this before. Dick tugged on the tie of his uniform. In all the hectic of dealing with Wally and Artemis fight, he hadn't the chance to actually change. The gel, too, was beginning to wither away from his hair. Dick trudged back to the table, hand smoothing out the strands on his scalp before he plopped calmly on the other side of the table. Three cake-plates were stacked, one after another and neatly set aside under their storm of textbooks.

Wally had gone back to looking at the menu and pretending nothing was wrong.

Dick smiled. "Hey—"

"Whatdidshesaytoyou?" Wally halted, then pressed a hand to his face with a groan. Red spread across his cheeks, fervent blush highlighting the rest of his face as he settled behind him.

Grappling the moment, Dick bit his lip before bursting out laughing. He tossed his head behind him, hand on his stomach good-naturedly, and as he ceased looking back to Wally, the boy's cheeks had dipped four shades darker.

"Sorry," Wally mumbled under his breath. He fidgeted. "She tends to make me…" He paused. "She keeps me on my feet."

"She's your girlfriend, right?" Dick expected for Wally to get a Robin-look and punch him in the shoulder. Instead, Wally sat there, blinking thrice at the question before looking up in the air and contemplating.

"She's not," Wally concluded, small smirk etching across his lips. "But it's crossed my mind a couple of times."

Well, that certainly wasn't an answer he expected to hear. Dick shifted his sights, finger grazing the next page of his text book and slowly running down. His stomach hurt. Dick went through every possible food that he could have eaten today—as to why his stomach would hurt when he knew for a fact the diner's food wasn't all too bad. Wally must have taken that as a sign for him to continue.

"Missy can be pretty annoying. That's…what I call her—Missy." Wally scratched his head, eyes darting in the direction of the bathrooms. "For two whole seconds I thought she was hot. Incredibly hot. But then she opened her mouth and actually _spoke._"

Dick shrugged.

"I'm warming up to her," Wally continued. Though this time the black-haired teen wasn't sure who was Wally was talking to now: Dick or himself. "But like I said. Two seconds. She's really more like that annoying cousin who gets off on showing me up every chance she gets."

"You don't say it like it's a bad thing," Dick flipped another page. Graphing parabolas.

"It's not, but…" He shrugged. "It's hard to find a girl—_anyone_, really, that you can call a friend." Wally stopped again. "People say that if you can marry your best friend, then you're set for life."

"I think it's a little too early for me to learn about teen angsting, Wally." Flashing a smirk, Dick leaned over the table and poked Wally in the forehead. This was treading dangerously close as 'One of the things Dick shouldn't know if Wally's yet to tell Robin' subjects. He felt his heart beating fast, and readied for a retort. "Alexa."

He felt a knee touching his own, delicate and sweet—but also very much Wally. Dick blinked, resisting the urge to look down and see if his best friend was actually _vibrating in his seat._ Instead, his eyes locked onto Wally's, and the vivid green darkened seriously. Dick felt his heart skip a beat. His stomach ached, whining in pain and seemed to have worsened—all because he was staring at a woeful Wally.

"You play any musical instruments?" Wally mused. "I play ukulele. Well. Sometimes."

"Piano. On occasion." And violin and guitar and drums. Bruce made it clear that if they were ever on an undercover mission and they needed a convincing agent that he be prepared. Batman told him flat-out that unless Robin knew the basis of each instrument, he wouldn't understand how to initiate sound.

"I wanna say that if you play an instrument for her, then you've basically got it set in stone. Ladies love musicians. Just…" Wally paused. "You've pretty much got everything going for you though, don't you, Dick? Just…make sure if you really like her, she really likes you."

"I take it the ukulele didn't work out?" Dick nearly rolled his eyes. Not this story again.

He remembered vividly, one mission between Flash and Batman before Young Justice had formed where because they were off doing superhero duties, KF had run all the way to Gotham waving around his wallet and declaring the sidekicks would have a movie night.

Robin had no choice but to oblige. Mostly because Kid wouldn't shut up, and they went to the theatre to see Pirates of the Caribbean. The theatre had screwed up, ending with them going into the wrong room and watching Marley & Me, along with Wally simply moaning and whining and sulking about some girl who played the ukulele at Central City High. Apparently their movie night was to help him get over the girl—who also happened to have a soft spot for Labrador Retrievers.

"Sort of," Wally mumbled. No. Dick knew that voice well—the one that exposed everything and scraped every detail until bare. Green eyes fluttered to the corner, idly watching the happenings from across the street through the window, before settling back on the younger teen. "Basically it happened freshman year, and I was still getting used to…_things_—" Things being Kid Flash. "—and then I fell for this girl who was two years older than me. A junior."

"Age difference, got it." Dick looked back to his paper and pretended to be disinterested. Having heart-to-hearts with Wally were way too personal. His stomach pulsated with irritating pain.

"Age difference is _never_ a reason not to go out with someone," Wally clarified. He crossed his arms, irritation fluttering through his features as he scowled. "Besides, I um. I hit puberty…_fast._ Not early. But fast. Anyway, she was this really nice orchestra kid—and you see, violin is annoying. I didn't want to learn it. So I decided to pick up ukulele. Learned it all in one night, memorized I'm Yours by Jason Mraz to the very last comma, and I got the feeling she _really_ liked me."

"But?" Ugh.

"Then she met Kid Flash." Green eyes narrowed, almost accusatory before Wally shook his head with a haughty sigh. He closed his eyes, for a moment thoughtful, then opened them again. "And he's…well. He's my age. All he had to do was stand there and Melissa was smitten. It didn't matter how hard I'd work to impress her—she just liked him."

Um. Something like that shouldn't have gotten Wally riled up. Should it have? Dick frowned, eyes narrowing carefully to his best friend. "So…?"

"She _liked_ him for different reasons." Wally broke into a smile—though sardonic and forced, also offered the norm of his usual wit. Hand grazing the side of his own face, Wally pressed his fingers against his jaw line and nonchalantly shrugged. "I'm…_comparing_ your life to Kid Flash's, Dick. Like a superhero's. There are gonna be people who see what's lain out on the plate, but very few who will actually give it a taste. You may be this hotdorable pretty boy on the outside, but you do have emotions and stuff. I know you're young, but if Alexa's your best friend the way you say she is, then you're not gonna want to screw this up. So…"

"Don't live a double life?" Dick muttered helpfully. He leaned forward, stomach grinding against the table-side. The pressure didn't help its aching.

"Sure." Wally grinned—a full, Wally-grin that for some reason made the younger teenager's ears tingle. "Don't let your friends see just one side of you. Let them like all of you. Don't…live like Kid Flash."

His chest tightened. "Or Robin."

"Yeah," the redhead agreed. "Or Robin."

A knee brushed against Dick's, completely intentional and left the younger teen tingling. He resisted the urge to nudge back—share the same sliver of affection Wally was willing to show him. Then, ever so slowly, he brushed a hand over Wally's, struggling for a smile as he took a napkin and wiped chocolate icing off his wrist. "You're a messy eater."

"That's why you're there to take care of me, kid." Wally's lips curled softly and he playfully shoved Dick back. "You're so gay."

"Well." Dick conjured a smirk, quickly melting back into the better guise—the one he always accidentally slipped into when the line between Robin and Dick became smudged. Wally had the irrevocable power to bring the best out of him. Was always able to make Dick _and_ Robin just feel like himself. "Maybe a little."

There was a shift in Wally's expression—a twitch, maybe, as the words sunk in. Hesitation streaked his eyes, mouth slowly opening into a gaping 'o,', but—

_BOOOM. _

Debris. Plaster, crumbling walls, and the impact of an explosion caught both heroes off guard, and in the half second where Dick was able to identify a high-pitched hum, Wally had already tackled him to the ground like Kid Flash had done so many times to Robin. The wall furthest away from them had _exploded_, booths and tables hurdling across the sky and breaking in harsh contact with the ground. Dick blinked—once, twice, and realized all he could see were meshed freckles and fluid, leaf-green eyes.

Very annoyed, very _worried_ leaf-green eyes with little specks of light green scattered through his i—"Are you okay?"

"Huh? I'm um." Dick swallowed hard, feeling the heat swell in his stomach and swirl in his cheeks. "I'm fine. Speedy reaction though, huh? You had me on the ground in a flash."

"Um. _Yeah._" Wally stared at him, eyes hardening. It was then that Dick realized his body had hit the floor—hard, but not hard enough to throw his back out—and that freckled hands had him firmly pinned to the ground by the shoulders. Right now as a civilian, Dick had half the mind to throw his best friend off and go into the nearest bathroom to change into Robin. "Go run. I'll—"

A sickening laugh filled the room, loud over any screaming civilian. Chills ran up Dick's spine and he caught his breath, hands firmly gripped around Wally's forearms as the other teenager stiffened. _Joker._ From the angle Dick quickly acknowledged that Wally had dropped all signs as Wally West and shifted into Kid Flash. KF's red goggles peeked out the crease of Wally's pocket as the boy nearly super-humanly pulled him to his feet.

"_Well, well, well_." Joker's voice resonated through the room and he laughed at an octave that would put a hyena to shame. He leaped through the piles of plaster and broken walls, waltzing through the hole with pies in his hand. Robin would have bet money they were loaded with explosives. "Can I get a doggy bag for this?"

"Aw, puddin'!" _Harley_ was with him. Shitshitshit. "Weren't we gonna enjoy our date here?"

"Of course, sweetums. Oh, lookie here!" Suddenly Joker's pale face looked their direction, and Dick felt another chill run cool down his spine as the sick grin spread wider across his cheeks. "Is that a million-dollar _heir_ to the Wayne fortune that I see over there?"

"Run," Wally said quickly. "Run_now._"

"No," Dick seethed. "I—" Couldn't do anything. Couldn't jeopardize his secret identity because of the Joker—couldn't _let_ Joker nearly kill Wally, not _again._

A green arrow caught the sight of both teens, aimed-and-hit Joker's pie _hard_. It collided into the third wall, nearest to their table and toward the entrance. A glance to the left proved that Artemis—suited up and scowling—was ready for the fight. Wally took the momentary distraction to grab Dick's blue backpack and propel both of them out the entrance and across the street. Dick remembered taking one look to all of the hostages still trapped inside before he was standing in front of a bookstore with a backpack tossed his way. He took a step forward, and Wally pushed him a step back.

"Stay," Wally said firmly, eyes darting everywhere but Dick's face. His fingers dug so tightly into Dick's blazer that it was beginning to hurt.

"But—"

"I'llexplaineverythinglater," the redhead said, and he shook his head wildly. "Go home or something, Dick—go anywhere but here. I'llseeyoutomorrowokay?"

Then Wally went running back. Dick needn't blink, watching the mass of red hair quickly become supplied with a yellow-and-red suit before Kid Flash burst straight back into the diner, too fast for the world to see him.

Dick's mind went haywire_._

"You _idiot_," he hissed. He ripped through his backpack, quickly slipping into the first dark alley he could find and shredded apart the secret compartment that held both his Robin uniform and utility belt. It'd been standard procedure in case Batman ever needed to call him out of school to get rid of a villain. He wasn't sure if he could change soon enough.

**xxxxx**

Kid Flash crashed through the collapsed building, colliding his fist into the nearest hyena he could find. A piercing yelp shot through his ears and he came to a skidding halt, nearly crashing into Artemis in the process. Dozens of hostages hid under booths on the far side of the diner. From his little time away, he took in the sight of Joker tossing his head back with sickening glee and juggling pies with some harlequin-chick clapping like it was the coolest thing she'd ever seen.

"Dude," he smirked, shoulder nudging Artemis's, "I think I just lost my appetite."

"What is this?" Joker wailed, giggles dancing from his lips as he did a jig. He set the pies on a table, jumping with glee and clasping his hands together like a little girl. "Harley, sweetums! We've got _guests_! The little Flashboy and his girlfriend!"

"Kid Flash!" The speedster's grin faded into a grimace as his eyes rolled to the girl standing next to him. He puffed his chest out and groaned. "Honestly, _why_ does everyone keep pairing us up? Aren't you a lesbian or something?"

"_You're_ gay for a thirteen-year-old boy, Mister _Smooth Operator._" Artemis snorted, one eye widening as she lifted her crossbow. "Seriously, I can't _believe_ you're going for jailbait!"

Kid gaped. "You freaking—"

"Ladies! Ladies!" Harley's voice blocked both of them. She stood high, bazooka in hand and scampered toward Joker, who was busying himself by talking to hostages. "This is a _house party!_" She smirked. "Allow _me._"

His reaction time was a little off—Kid Flash knew that well. He scooped Artemis up in the sliver of relative time when the missile shot out of the cannon. Holding Artemis close, he swiveled and squeak as metal bristled against his arm, and dodged.

Artemis looked as green as her outfit. "This—" dodge. "isn't—" dodge. "working—" dodge.

He threw her to the ground and quickly watched her land with a cat's grace, crossbow at hand. "You get into the catfight and I'll get into the dog…fight…whatever!"

They shared permissive looks, cautious but understanding. Aqualad had paired them up so many times in the past despite their feisty nature and somehow out of sheer luck it always managed to work out. Wally eyed her carefully, frowning at the harlequin-girl with worry and made a mental note to check with Rob if she was side-comedic act that opened for the Joker.

He turned his vision, jaw tightening as Joker tore through the many hostages with a _gun_ in his hand. Joker skipped like a puppy missing three legs, cracks in his makeup apparent and giggles missing every other "-hah." In instinct his arm started to burn—a reminder of what happened over a month ago. He was better now though. Way better and back in action.

Grabbing the first item he saw—a mustard bottle—Kid Flash flung it toward Joker's head at top speed. Joker flinched, frozen in spot as he picked a little kid from the ground and held him high in the air. A little boy with black hair and blue eyes. The speedster tightened his grip against another condiment and threw it just as hard.

_Fwip_! "You might wanna—" _Fwip_! "—pick on another kid—" _Fwip_! Kid Flash smirked, hands wrapping around the next item to throw as Joker finally whipped around, carrying a scowl on his face. "Preferably this one, Joker."

"Clever, _clever_." Joker tsked, snickering too loudly for it to be amusing. He threw the kid to the ground without mercy, and strutted down the walkway between the cash register and the entrance. Kid Flash stood his ground, noting faintly behind him the swift sound of arrows and the loud cry of whimpering hyenas. The hairs on the back of Wally's neck pleaded to stand stiff. "Didn't I make you go, you know—_Kaboom_?"

Kid Flash made speedy eye-contact with the little boy. His fingers twitched toward the exit, frown terse across his lips before he looked back to the expectant Gotham villain, body language smug and brimming with the thrill. His stomach lurched, tense from the memory of the explosion, but he shoved it aside with a languid smirk. "_Duh._ HA-healing, you moron."

"Regeneration? REGENERATION?" Joker gasped, hands going to his cheeks before he rubbed his chin. "Hm. Guess we better test it out then."

"What?"

A pie was flung his way. Normally Kid Flash had the best reaction time—save Rob—when it came to dodging, but he was taken off guard. He quickly sidestepped the pie, crème grazing the lightning bolt emblem at his chest. As he recovered from the first one, Kid Flash dodged the second, quickly splicing through the room and ramming his fist into Joker's jaw. Joker threw his head back, giggling at an octave that made the rest of Kid Flash's body nearly go into relapse.

Joker didn't even flinch. Kid Flash threw another punch, this time with his knuckles colliding with the bridge of the freaky comedian's nose.

"You know," Joker grinned, "you're really bad at this." He flung a hand out and just as gruffly punched the speedster in the nose.

"Oof!" Wally collided and met the ground, the back of his head slamming into polished floors and sending pain to his brain. The shock numbed his senses, and he quickly tried to retain coherency. That shouldn't have hurt so much. Not to _that_ degree. Before Kid had the chance to stand from his position, a spiked heel rammed into his chest.

"Kid!" 'Missy's voice.

Kid gritted his teeth, hands moving to clutch the ankle above him, but the sole of sharp cleats were now meeting his ribcage. Joker only laughed. "Is this the punch line, _Flashboy_? And _here I thought_ you speedsters would actually offer me some entertainment! Where's the little birdie? _Where's the Bat? _I bet even Bruce Wayne's little brat would put up a better fight!"

"What the heck do you want with _him?_" The material of his uniform was made to cut back on friction; help Wally move faster against opposing forces and allow him to move-now-get-hit-never. The padding was meant to keep him from hurting himself and tripping over something incredibly stupid. It was _not_ made for sharp edges digging into his skin while a man twice his size did the lambada and break all twenty-four of his ribs.

A wily smirk spread across Joker's face and—was he _seriously checking out his manicure?_ "That little Richie Grayson? He's a hot commodity these days. What I wouldn't give, really, to have him as a little plaything. Hm, I'll probably kidnap him later."

Shit. "Don't you _dare—AH_!"

Joker rammed an oversized purple-and-green mallet into his head. Searing pain dulled Kid Flash's senses as for the third or fourth or fifth or sixth time Joker rammed the mallet in his jaw. Wally couldn't breathe through his own blood. "_Healing_? Already? Gasp, you make a terribly entertaining plaything, don't cha know?"

"Just stalling." Wally flashed a fuzzy smile and cringed as the end of the mallet dug into his Adam's apple. He could faintly hear a snigger—a _cackle_ that tingled his ears.

"And what could you _possibly_ be stalling for?" Joker jeered.

Kid Flash grinned back. "My best friend."

In an instant he heard the grappling gun, along with the same, warm laugh that always went with Rob. Whatever 'Missy was doing—however she was struggling with the harlequin lady—was quickly channeled out as Robin ripped through the window at godspeed, batarang hissing in his hand as he shoved into the Joker and sent the megalomaniac toppling into the nearest booth. Wally choked on a breath, suffocating from the taste of rusty metal between his teeth and the sinuous rumble of his ribcage. He propped himself onto his elbows, wincing as pain shot _everywhere_ and trembled with his vision.

The sight of Robin's boot met his gaze, followed by the lithe batarang that flitted between Robin's gauntlet like a snitch.

Wally panted unsteadily. "Nice to see you—"

"_Don't_. Talk." Robin's voice scraped an octave that would put Superboy's rage to shame. He tossed one menacing glare, anger radiating from his body before he turned back to the Joker, who was on the ground and coming out of his own concussion. Wally flinched as Robin ran forward, batarang flinging after batarang without even a hint of a smile across his face.

From the side, Artemis's combat boots nudged Kid Flash in the cheek. Not so much as a violent gesture as it was secure. She looked at Wally from the mane of wild blond hair. "How long will it take you to heal?"

"An hour. B-Before they started manifesting." Kid Flash grimaced and forced himself in a sitting position. "But now? I've got no freaking clue. HA-healing jumps around quickly no matter how severe the injury. You get his girlfriend in custody?"

Artemis swept into a crouch and wrapped an arm around his torso. "Once I took the bazooka away, yeah."

"Good," Kid wheezed, flinching. Fortunately he could feel the first wiry signs of his ribs reconstructing. "Get everyone out of here. I'll call Batman and—" Kid Flash winced, pain burning in his nerves. "M-Make sure that Robin's okay."

"Stay strong." Her look hardened and she leaped over him, bow at hand.

C-crap. He was blacking out. Kid Flash blinked through dazzling stars in his vision and forced himself to his feet. He planted both boots on the ground before regrettably falling into the booth behind him. Artemis had filtered the many civilians through the entrance, carrying the same child Joker had grappled earlier, and gave one more look of concern.

"What's the _matter_, Robby-poo?~" Joker's voice echoed like a hissing irritation in the back of Wally's mind. "You don't normally get this angry!~ Maybe I should stab your _best friend_ a little mo—"

"Don't. You. _DARE." _AndRobin was relentless. Kid Flash struggled for his breath, willing himself to heal faster—if possible. He saw the Boy Wonder whip out a bow stick, proceeding to whack Joker ruthlessly in the jaw. One slap to the jaw, one collision to the eye, one _stab_ at his chest—

This wasn't his Robin.

"Batman…Flo's Dining. _Now._" The moment Kid felt his body return to normal, he zipped toward the young teenager as fast as possible and yanked him away as the last batarang was flung at Joker's head. It exploded, landing expertly around the Joker like a straitjacket.

"Robin! Rob!" Kid Flash felt his stomach burn, hand tightening around Rob's wrist, but was immediately pummeled to the ground and punched in the jaw. Wally winced, feeling the crack between the hinges of his mouth and clung to the floor tightly. "What the hell is your problem? Remember Black Canary's lesson? _Channel your anger!_"

The Joker was struggling against his hold but all that mattered to Wally was the fact that his _best friend_ was glowering and ready to rip his head off.

Robin snarled. "You wanna see me _channel_ that anger?"

"Crappy quote from Superboy, got it." Wally offered a lazed grin, standing from his position, but for the first time…_ever_, Robin hadn't offered a grin. Rob and he…they joked. They made fun of each other, had light banter, and once in a while, Wally let Robin kick his butt during a sparring match. That wasn't the Rob he was seeing. Immediately the smile faded from the redhead's face, and they stood at a stalemate, eyes never leaving one another.

Not even when Batman and the commissioner of the GCPD entered the scene, looks of shock and confusion mixing across their faces.

Kid Flash stood, worry bubbling in his stomach while Robin shrugged off the fact Batman was in the same room. Even Artemis fluttered back, look of strain along with relief as she collected to their sides.

"Robin," Batman said finally after the Joker and his girlfriend were hauled off by the police. "Report."

"What were you _thinking_?" Robin threw his arms up in the air, demeanor darkening _if possible_, and whirled Wally's way. The speedster had to take a step back just to keep his balance from the outburst. As it seemed, Robin wasn't going to calm down any time soon. "You're—you're _stupid! _So incredibly, _undeniably_ stupid!"

"While I think that's the right presumption," Artemis quickly intervened, cutting between both of them, "we can talk about Kid's lack of intelligence _later_."

Wally ignored her. All his focus was on Rob—_just. Rob. _"What do you mean what was _I_ thinking? What about what _you_ were thinking? You nearly killed him back there! Maybe I'm mistaken, but aren't superheroes supposed to be the ones who _don't _murder people?"

"I only nearly killed him because he nearly killed you!" Robin punched him. Again. _Harder._ "Because you're _stupid_!" _Punch. _"Because you actually think you can handle yourself in a fight!"

A scowl formed across Wally's face. "You think I can't handle myself in a fight—?"

"_Haha_! I _know_ you can't handle yourself in a fight!" Robin's hands balled into fists. "I know you're _stupid¸ _you're _irritating_, and you don't even deserve to call yourself _Kid Flash_ because you can't handle _one little blow_ to the arm!"

Kid Flash fell dead silent. He stared at Robin, mouth having gone dry as the words sunk in like poison. A thought fluttered through his mind, how Uncle Barry once told him because their bodies worked at a hyper-accelerated level, they'd never get sick. Never get poisoned, never be affected by drugs. Rob apparently didn't get the memo. Pain clenched his chest and all four of them stood there awkwardly, not a thought crossing Wally's mind. At first he readied himself for Rob to start smiling—say he was just kidding, but…

That would have made it worse.

Turning around, another thought passed through Wally's mind, and he blocked out Robin completely from his mind. His eyes met with Batman—and for a moment, he wondered why the guy hadn't intervened against his freaking ward. "We've gotta protect Dick Grayson."

Like a gargoyle statue that suddenly decided it wasn't an inanimate object, Batman reanimated, thin lips tightening dismally. "Any particular reason why?"

"Of course not!" Robin screeched painfully. "Look, _KF,_ we don't freaking _care_ about Grayson, alright? He doesn't need prote—"

"You know, for two years I thought you were my best friend," Kid Flash hissed. He whirled around and nearly rammed his fist into Rob's nose. No. He couldn't do that—Batman would _kill_ him, and even if it would have felt good, Wally knew he'd regret it later. He felt stupid. He felt stupid, betrayed, and like someone had ripped his heart out. "But you basically just told me you don't even consider me a valuable _ally_, Boy Wonder. The proof's in the fact that _I don't know your real name_."

Robin froze. Wally couldn't help but feel the sliver of victory in his chest. He turned back to Batman, leaning slightly into Artemis's warmth.

"Joker said he planned to kidnap Dick Grayson—Gotham's _golden boy_—and add him to his collection." Kid tried his hardest not to look at his ex-best friend in the eye. "I…the team should protect him. We should be his bodyguards."

**xxxxxx**

**Author's Note: **

To get the point across if it hasn't been clear yet: Robin gets _incredibly_ worried whenever Wally's about to do something horrifically stupid. You know, die and stuff. So at the last part he wasn't thinking rationally and was freaking out. On another note…I guess it might count as a spoiler? I just can see Wally with a ukulele in his hand and serenading "I'm Yours" to Dick. xD _Anyway_, after the next update you might not me for about two weeks while I get caught up with the other two stories in my life + YJ Anon Meme + other things. I should probably update Quiver, too. Hum. I haven't decided yet, but as for now, any meme fills that I complete will be on my LJ account. As for posting it here? Not too sure just yet. Thanks for the reviews!

_Preview: "I guess…you're the first person I'd expect to figure it out."_


	13. Partners

**Partners. **

Richard Grayson. Age: 13. Current Home: Gotham City. Height: 5'2", Appearance: Black Hair, Blue Eyes.

"He has been targeted by the Joker," Batman explained in a low voice. Right next to him, Richard treaded out in plain sight, wearing a uniform Superboy had seen once or twice whenever Artemis would drop by. Richard looked bored of the cave. Very bored. "Under the request of Kid Flash and Artemis, he will be under _your_ surveillance until further noticed."

Superboy scanned the boy up and down, firmly examining his vitals, his heartbeat—and anything else before the boy turned his head, body lighting up like the blue on the platform, and offered Superboy a strained smile. He couldn't help but smile back despite the severity of the situation.

After all the training with Kara—after molding a personality with her through their weeks together and finding out everything she was willing to offer about Krypton, he was able to hear Richard's heart; feel it beat at a steady beat. _Like a normal person._

Aqualad stepped forward, undergoing the typical fashion as he took lead of the team, eyebrows furrowed. "Where is Robin?"

Did anyone notice the subtle way Richard immediately twitched, or the way Wally immediately frowned from his side by Artemis? Superboy looked their way silently, eyes shifting between the pair. It was unusual for them, really, to be getting along so easi—

"Robin and Kid had a lover's spat." Never mind. Artemis held her head high, expression bored with a roll of her eyes.

Immediately the seriousness across Kid Flash's face unraveled, anger spluttering through his features and scowl stern. It wasn't an expression anyone had ever seen before. "Not funny."

"What? No, '_dude_' accompanying it?" Their archer wasn't joking. She actually looked angry.

"Robin has been deployed on a mission for me." Batman slowly backed away, cloak gathering around his body like a shroud. Superboy knew well by now that when he did this, the conversation was readily meeting a close. He'd done it several times after being barricaded with questions about Superman. "He will in no way be associated with this mission."

You didn't need superhearing to hear Wally mutter a, 'good,' under his breath. Superboy's jaw tightened as he slowly turned his sights. Someone's heartbeat was pulsing incredibly fast. Though for some reason, he couldn't pinpoint it.

"Mister Batman?" Richard's voice broke through the barrier of tension with an octave Superboy was familiar with, but also couldn't quite locate. It felt raw and scratchy in his ear drums, a sure sign of a boy hitting puberty. It was one thing he'd never have to go through. Grayson did what no superhero would dare to do and tugged Batman's cape tightly. "What's going to happen to me? What's Bruce going to think of the situation?"

For a moment Superboy could have sworn Batman and Grayson were sharing a silent conversation. He would have heard it if it was vocal, but clearly it was a battle between minds. Half a second later, Batman only raised his head, giving each one a speculative glance before his eyes stayed secure on Superboy himself. "Mister Wayne finds this situation clearly acceptable. He wishes you the best of luck."

"Can you call Superman and make sure he takes care of him?"

Superboy twitched. Was that a smirk spread across Richard's lips?

"I will keep watch of him, Richard." Batman once again lowered his gaze. There was a subtle change in his voice—annoyance, maybe. Supergirl had been teaching him about listening to every minor change in the voice—extracting it, just as if it were a forensic science project. "Anything else?"

Richard stretched his arms out. "Can I have a hug?"

"No. You may not." Amusement. A pitch of amusement could be heard in Batman's voice, followed by a stiff sternness and quiet irritation as the man maneuvered for a swift exit out the door. The Dark Knight stopped shortly, inches away from Superboy and under lenses, Superboy hadn't the slightest idea what he was thinking. He only stared back. "We speak later."

Superboy folded his arms, gaze defiantly hardening. "Is that a promise?"

"It's an order." Not a moment too soon, Batman made a brisk exit out the entrance, never again to be seen.

Silence whirred through the room if not for a brief moment. It was, however, Kid Flash that zipped through the room across the platform and met Richard Grayson dead center. A small smile curled across his face, freckles teeming in his cheeks. "Let me introduce you to the team."

**xxxxx**

Dick knew especially well that he didn't want to deal with Kid Flash. Not with the guilt bubbling in his stomach. Artemis rarely saw the light of day, he realized, and kept herself stuffed in her room rather than doing anything else. Sticking with Miss M meant the possibility of getting his mind probed, and with the possibility of _thinking too loudly_, he thought best not to stick around her—no longer than when she would bring him cookies.

Aqualad, he expected to be following him around wary and like a bodyguard, but he seemed more concern confronting Wally to this so-called 'lover's spat,' which led to KF being flippant, scatterbrained, and leaving the area the moment Aqualad showed his face.

He couldn't have been more thankful.

First and foremost, Dick opted for Superboy. If everything had gone his way, he would have appreciated it more if he'd never had that fight with Wally. He hated himself more than ever, stomach aching and chest burning with pain from every little slanderous thing that left his mouth that night three days ago. Looking Wally in the eye had become increasingly hard with each second, but Kid Flash had steered clear of Gotham since their argument.

Wally didn't.

If anything, Wally had pushed for more time with Dick Grayson, smile across his lips as they continued their routine of doing homework and staying in the park while the Wayne Foundation reconstructed Flo's Dining. Talking to Wally as Dick meant forcing himself to look in his best friend's eye and pretend that he hadn't said hateful things out of fear and hurt.

Kid Flash would be relaxed for more than a second before Kaldur came bursting through, confronting him as a leader should about the problems, and Artemis wouldn't be glaring. Dick saw though, that she was concerned. She was trying to keep a tough front and treat Kid Flash no differently after the incident, and once in a while Miss Martion would confront 'Richard Grayson' and apologize ten million times that their team was acting so un-teamy.

"What are you doing?" Dick asked softly, perching himself on Superboy's bed. He fiddled through the script for _Eros and Psyche_, half-reading the lines and also curious as to why Superboy hadn't left the bathroom in the past ten minutes. The door was left open for anyone to see, but Supey hadn't budged. He was still looking in the mirror.

Letting his eyes wander for a moment, the smaller teen collected with his eyes his surroundings. Wally told him once that Superboy preferred sleeping in the closet because of its close, tight-knit area that reminded him of a Cadmus tube, but his room surprisingly still looked inhabited. Somewhat. The floor was furnished from the mountain's material, leaving mostly the image of someone living in a cave, but he could see the sparks of Superboy's personality. The duvet he sat on was blue and red—Superman's signature colors, and Supergirl, too, Dick supposed—but had been untouched until Dick sat on it.

A computer, oddly enough, rested in the corner, but seeing the blanket of dust gathered around it, Dick had a feeling it was something else that went unused. On Superboy's nightstand was an old, beat up radio that hummed with static. It must have been years since it actually got a signal. The last of Superboy's things was a bookshelf farthest away from the door.

Giving into temptation, Dick slid off the bed and maneuvered himself to the many shelves. He climbed the first few agilely and got a better look. Scraps, mostly. There was a bulletin board filled with newspaper clippings from the Daily Planet that highlighted of Superman's compliments for the current year, and few memorabilia and action figures of Superman that someone could find at a local gas station. Superboy's solar suit rested in the far back corner of the top shelf, almost invisible behind everything else. One picture frame stood out well: Clark Kent in his thick coke-bottle glasses and dorky haircut and a blond girl right next to him, identical glasses adorning her face and hair pinned back.

"Don't touch that."

Dick flinched quickly whirling around and found himself eye-to-eye with Superboy. Who…wasn't dressed as Superboy. He blinked three times, taking in the sight with surprise. An old black-and-red flannel shirt, jeans, and a pair of boots that looked like they belonged in the farm. "Um…"

"Don't touch that," Superboy repeated quietly. His eyes hardened to glass, and he took few steps forward until they stood face-to-face. From the corner of his eye, Dick caught sight of wiry, dented glasses bent out of shape to the point they were crying in the Kryptonian's hands. Or, that Superboy was frustrated.

It was really because Cadmus hadn't supplied Superboy to be judgmental—opinionated at all, really, when it came to constructing a clone. Or so Batman once told Dick presumptuously a few nights after Young Justice was formed and Bruce was doing research on their team mate. To have opinions meant to be interested in something, and to be interested in something meant fending for it when feeling threatened. Some things Superboy was really bad at.

Like the fact Dick expected to be punched in the nose the moment his fingers grazed the picture frame with Clark Kent and the mystery girl, but instead Superboy only looked at him, blue eyes lost as a child in a mall without his mother. His hand twitched, falling to loose strands of his gelled hair as Superboy's passive gaze burnt holes in his chest, and reached for the glasses. Was this really what Superboy was going to look like in civvies?

Superboy allowed him to take the withered glasses. They were made of steel, Dick noticed, as he pulled the chair from the taller teen's desk and climbed it until they stood at the same height.

"You look nice," Dick commented. Very…farm boyish. He waved the glasses around with a hesitant smile and slowly put them across Superboy's eyes. He had to bite back a laugh as they slid off his face and hit the ground with a sickening crunch.

Unfazed, Superboy simply looked to the ground before returning to the bathroom. This time, Dick decided to follow after him and was surprised to find the other teen pulling out a drawer that revealed twenty or more glasses—untouched and unbroken. On the other hand, Superboy's trashcan was filled with what looked like metal wires and scrambled glass.

"What are you doing?" Dick smiled curiously. Superboy looked hesitant. Uncertain, even.

"Kid Flash and I…" Superboy said in his quiet, reluctant tone as he gently wrapped his fingers around another pair of glasses. Dick pulled them from the taller teen's grasp and rubbed them gently between his hands. "I'm going to his house for Thanksgiving in a few weeks."

Dick froze and blinked. He remembered vaguely a conversation like this, when he was curled up in Mount Justice's couch with strep. He'd woken up halfway through the night, _incredibly tired_, but he heard bits and pieces of the conversation shared between his friends. Wally was telling Superboy all of his great qualities. And there was lasagna involved. He was pretty sure, anyway.

"That's nice of him." Feigning innocence, Dick timidly stood to the tip of his toes, this time not as lucky as he struggled to push the pair of glasses in front of Superboy's eyes. He looked younger, somehow. More human. "Where did you get the shirt?"

"His father's closet." Superboy turned back to the mirror. His eyes widened in surprise behind glasses, and Dick took a firm grasp of his wrist in reassurance. "It was a souvenir. His parents insisted I keep it if I ever found a name."

That was confusing. "So Kid Flash's parents know about the whole superhero business?"

If there were ever at time to be a tense block, it would have been then. It must have reoccurred to Superboy that Dick wasn't necessarily Robin at the moment, and he immediately stiffened, eyes closing briefly before they met Dick's gaze. "It's complicated."

Somehow Dick had a feeling that if he just strolled up to Wally and just _asked_—that he'd get an answer. Pushing that thought aside, Dick's lips nervously curled and he changed the subject. "Are you practicing for when you go over to his house?"

"…Conner." Superboy moved a hand to peel the glasses away before hesitating. If the guy had been standing in the mirror for twenty minutes and struggling to put the glasses on, Dick doubted he would want to take them off too quickly. "Robin picked out the name. When we visit his family, he thought it would make me comfortable if I used the name with his family."

"I like Conner." The reminder flooded back. Cognitional Neuroplastic Replicant. Originally it had been a scheme to push away thoughts of Kid Flash ogling Supergirl's _super boobs_, but as he sifted through the names in his head, it felt right. The name rolled off Dick's tongue easily and so far Superboy didn't strike him as a Clark Jr. Definitely not. Conner Kent had a good ring to it. "You look like a Conner."

A twitch of a smile slowly curled across Superboy's lips. Was that Supergirl's doing—getting Superboy to smile so easily? There were plenty of times where the taller teen would smile—albeit if it fit the situation or if he was trying incredibly hard. Superboy. "Not Clark?"

Dick blinked in surprise—so quickly that it would have been hard to notice. The look across Superboy's face had brightened, however, mischievous and very much intelligent. _Oh crap._ He knew in that instant he'd been caught.

"Batman and Kara have been teaching me to extract voices and identify them to a person." Superboy's voice dropped low. For a moment his eyes darted toward the door, hunching slightly with focus before turning back to him, lips curling again into a small frown. "It was hard. But every time your voice cracked deeper it became obvious. That and not very many people can climb to the top shelf without a chair."

He opted to play an idiot, but at that moment Dick's mind had gone blank. He was stupid. Stupider than he depicted Wally. Resisting the urge to groan in agony, Dick straightened and twisted his face until he looked utterly confused.

"The same heartbeat," Superboy continued simply. "Same heartbeat, the same scent and how agile you are. You can't fool me."

"I…can't," Dick finally agreed. He tried for a smile, mind whirling through his dizzy haze before collapsing back onto the bed. He sat against the perfectly-made mattress and stared back to Sup—Conner. Superboy was in civvies, and that made him Conner. Conner, who was currently going through super puberty and developing every one of Superman's powers—one including very good, specified super hearing. "I guess…you're the first person I'd expect to figure it out."

"Why are you and Kid Flash fighting?" And just like that, Conner switched the subjects, fingers moving to the wire frame of his glasses to take them off. In an instant they broke in two. Mildly frustrated, the taller teen looked at the pair of broken specs before tossing them aside. He opted to the bathroom and get another pair.

"How long have you been trying to wear glasses?" This time Dick didn't hesitate as he climbed the top of Conner's bookshelf and grabbed the picture frame. He stared at it for a moment, then rolled his eyes. Supergirl. It was _Supergirl_ that was in the picture.

Conner's eyes were focused on the mirror, apparently, as he gingerly grabbed another pair of glasses. These were thicker, Dick noticed, and looked more like the coke-bottle glasses Clark Kent wore to keep eyes away from him. Scaling off the bookshelf, Dick trudged back to the bathroom with the frame in hand.

"It's a family thing," Conner said almost inaudibly. He turned his head, tender gaze fixated with Dick's. Squeezing the frame between his hands, he took the picture and placed it above the bathroom sink. "It seemed like a good idea at the time."

Dick snorted. "You're talking to a boy who has to wear lead-laced shades around the team just so they don't know his identity, Con."

"Con?"

"Nickname," Dick responded affectionately. A smile graced his lips and he leaned into the doorframe, casually raising his hand to pull the glasses away from Conner's face and inspect them. "I've been calling you Conner in my head for a whole ten minutes now, actually. How about I design some new glasses for you? These are too…_Clark._ You're Conner."

Conner stared at him blankly, lips loose before his gaze turned into a focused leer. Dick waited with anticipation. "Don't…mess with my head. Or change the subject. Please. Why are you and Wally having a fight?"

"Do we have to talk about it?"

Avoiding the question apparently seemed to be the wrong answer. Conner stared at him now, more of a scowl spreading across his lips as he snatched the glasses from Dick's grasp. They broke, snapping in into pieces under his grasp before he threw them aside like confetti. Superboy raised a hand, body tense as Dick closed his eyes for impact—but it never came.

The smaller teen opened his eyes slowly, hesitantly, and found Conner staring at him _hard._

"I was going to confront you about it anyway—" Again, Conner halted in mid-conversation, eyes slowly fluttering toward the door. Dick started at him curiously, and slowly large fingers began to peel away at the flannel shirt. Rather than being shirtless, however, the big 'S' shield shined brightly.

Dick blinked with surprise. "Con—"

"Not yet," the taller teen murmured vitally under his breath. He pulled shirt off him much neater than when he broke the glasses, and stuffed it in the bathroom. _Not yet_, the shorter suddenly realized, actually meant Superboy was still Superboy. Large blue eyes looked at him pleadingly, evidently uncomfortable before he trudged out the door. Dick scampered close behind as the entrance swished open, and was met with the sight of Wally cornered by Kaldur.

Super hearing. Superboy must have heard them stalking down the hallway. _Duh._ Dick looked to the corner of his eye where his 'bodyguard's expression shifted from the soft and benevolent young man to the irritated and somewhat-irrational superhero. Superboy's room was at the farthest end of the mountain, deeper in the more personal hallways like there would be if it was an actual house. Across the hallway was Megan's room, complete with a sticker Dick remembered Kid doodling a few months back.

"Do we really have to talk about this?" _Déjà vu. _Kid Flash's bright green eyes slowly darkened and narrowed to Dick's. Suddenly the expression became more serious, hardening as they made eye contact.

Dick's chest tightened. His stomach ached and it felt like all the oxygen in his lungs had been sucked out. Superboy nudged him idly in the arm in recognition, but he pretended not to notice.

Aqualad turned his head just as well, expression somber as he made eye-contact with the youngest teenager and bowed his head with grace. "My apologies to put you in the middle of this, Mister Grayson."

"A small dispute between two members of Young Justice." Dick shrugged nonchalantly and nervously tried to smile. Kid Flash's eyes were locked onto every move. Each word choked after the other, like swallowing mud and suddenly having to force it out again. "No biggie."

"Yeah," Kid Flash spat under his breath, eyes hardening yet again. "_No biggie._"

Their leader was relentless. "Then tell us what happened—"

"I don't want to talk about it, alright?" Kid Flash jabbed finger into Aqualad's chest, anger blazing in his eyes, and from shock the Atlantean must have taken three steps back. Dick didn't blame him. He clutched the doorframe tightly, fingers turning white as Wally began to pace back and forth, nearly blurring at the spot. He threw his hands in the air, eyes focused at the ground and jaw tight. Aqualad reached out to touch him. Superboy clutched it before he could make contact. "It's not like it hasn't crossed my mind about how not-well I'm taking it. I'm not going to jeopardize the team by _quitting_ after all the crap we went through for Supey, and if I do say so myself, I consider myself a _founding member_ of this team. I'm not like that, alright, AL? But I don't want to see him. I _don't_ want to see Robin."

Dick's entire jaw tightened and he wanted to say something. Superboy gave him secretive, confused, and threatening glances from the way he was reacting, and Dick had a feeling his entire complexion had fallen to a pasty white. He hadn't so much as blinked as Wally zipped up to him, goggles running over his eyes and an arm extended.

"C'mon," Kid Flash continued, yanking Dick into his arms before the younger teen had a chance to protest. "Let'sgogeticecream."

He hadn't as much the chance to blink while Wally curled him close to the red lightning bolt on the speedster's chest. Dick felt the familiar stance—the one Kid Flash occasionally took whenever dropping by Gotham to pick up Robin before they gallivanted all the way to Happy Harbor telling stupid jokes and flinging insults between 'Boy-With-No-Sex-Drive' and 'Kid Can't-Get-Laid.' This time it was different; the way KF's arms curved around his body, fastening him securely against his chest and green eyes forward as they zipped out of the mountain that took note of _Kid Flash and guest_. The wind slapped Dick cold despite the thickness of his Gotham Academy blazer, and he felt his body grow numb at the stiff—almost _dead_ touch of his best friend.

Normally riding S.S. Kid Flash meant having to deal with speedster warmth. The Flashes had a higher temperature Batman explained as molecules jumping around at a hyper-accelerated rate and border-line spontaneous combustion—or something like that. He'd been eleven when given the lesson and was more excited meeting someone who wasn't a jerk like Speedy. What he'd never thought was how before Young Justice and Superboy acting as his bodyguard and lacking someone who could fly, Kid Flash picked up the slack left behind by their mentors and carried Robin _everywhere. _

After defusing bombs. Before being caught on camera for hacking. Before they could get killed by the _detonation_ of a bomb—

If it wasn't for Kid Flash going, 'Omigod, you crazy midget if you don't let go _right now_ we're going to die' to his, 'I'm almost done hacking—' Dick knew now for a fact he'd probably have died ages ago.

Which made Dick feel even worse.

He hadn't meant to yell. He hadn't meant to _snap_, or call out KF to the one thing the guy actually felt competent in doing.

"You okay?"

Dick's breath halted as he looked to solid green eyes. He thought about it again; like the night Kid and Robin met after the stupid kiss, and the name 'Conner' was first brought up. KF was an utter walking disaster in a blinding yellow and broad red uniform, with pools of off-pink freckles and unruly red hair, and—and green eyes. Pretty leaf green eyes Dick spent countless minutes just _looking_ at, which seemed to have little off-green specks of their own. Heat dusted the younger teenager's cheeks and he looked down; away from the blur surrounding them and even further from KF—_Wally's_ gaze.

His chest felt tingly. Dick had been sent on plenty missions before as a miniature Bruce Wayne in Gotham's night clubs. He'd been the one insistent; saying that he was just as good at Batman when it came to disguise—and better, because he was just some kid. Concubines or hoes or whatever you wanted to call them—_they_ never made his heart stop by just looking at him.

"I'm fine," Dick muttered softly. "You can let me down now."

"I'm…making you uncomfortable, aren't I?" Combined with the fact Dick couldn't understand why his heart was ready to burst and Robin had yet to reconcile and explain why he yelled at Kid Flash in the first place—not to mention he was still trying to figure out _why_ he lost his temper in the first place when getting hurt came with the superhero job description? Just a little bit.

Without even realizing it, Dick had buried his cheek into the Flash symbol—of _their_ Flash, _his_ Flash, and tried to smile. Superboy may have figured out the connection between Robin and Dick Grayson, but Wally was still none the wiser. "Why are you trying so hard?"

They came to a skidding halt down the streets of Happy Harbor and Kid Flash's ribcage tightened, wrapping certainly around Dick's form before he stood straight up. The speedster stood there for a moment, eyes never leaving Dick's, and without even realizing it they'd entered a staring contest.

Slowly, a red glove rose above the yellow cowl and peeled off the goggles. Dick rocked between his feet before KF covered his eyes. Everything was tinted red and rosy. How appropriate.

"You're…_Richard Grayson_," Kid Flash smiled casually, one side of his lips higher than the other before he lightly tsked. "Couple reasons why a superhero shouldn't be noticed with a celebrity. C'mon, let's go get ice cream."

The parlor was right down the street. Dick blinked through the red tint, remembering all the mechanics that went into _building_ the goggles. They were far more advanced than the prototype Bruce had him build two years ago when Flash waltzed in and requested something to shield his sidekick's eyes from dirt and debris. He knew every little button and trigger he installed only a few months back when they were ranked an espionage mission for the team.

When they entered the ice cream parlor, eyes had become glued to all of them. The hand around his wrist immediately disappeared with a speedster's grace (_how long had they been holding hands?) _and Wally's gaze was apparently elsewhere. It only lasted ten seconds. Right after that, 'Richard' found a hand tangled in his again.

"You…know," Kid Flash mumbled as they entered the line. Happy Harbor was a small city, but it bordered Gotham and Metropolis—two cities where homosexuals were perfectly accept—_why_ was he thinking about this? "Just holding your hand so you don't get mobbed by some fangirls or something."

This wasn't his Kid Flash. Without even noticing, Dick had tightened his grip into Wally's glove, sweaty palm moistening with heat. This wasn't the same Wally who would call Robin 24/7 while Dick was in the bathroom for advice to win Richard Grayson over. Wally hadn't even _smiled_ since their introduction after school today.

"Dude," Kid said softly, small chuckle escaping his lips. "Tight grip much?"

Looking back up, Dick's deduction was shoved away by the small grin that accentuated Kid Flash's withered expression. His hand slipped away with an embarrassing _squelch_, and red scattered across his cheeks. Dick fidgeted. "Sorry."

"What kind of ice cream do you want?" For a moment Kid Flash's face brightened, grin broadening across his lips as they made it to the front of the line. He zipped against the glass and gestured to the flavors. "Orange Sherbet? Chocolate? Mint Chocolate Chip? Pistachio? BirthdayCake? VanillaChocolateNeapolitan? Rockyroadice—"

"Do you _always_ speak that fast?" Or had he never really noticed? Dick took a step back, eyebrow arched with surprise and amusement quirking his features for a brief second. Wally…he turned pink. Had a horridly unhealthy crush on him.

"Uh." Kid Flash rubbed the back of his head and whipped out a crisp ten dollar bill. "Only when I'm nervous. Normally I pace myself."

"Ah." Dick blinked and leaned over the counter thoughtfully. "Rocky Road."

"Rocky Road?"

"S'my favorite." Dick sifted through his pocket until he found his wallet, only to be stopped with a firm grasp on his hand.

Kid Flash leaned over, idly shaking his head. "I'll pay for it."

"You sure?"

"Positive. It's—" Wally paused short a speedster's second before looking up again, _eyes shining._ Heat scattered Dick's cheeks, radiating fervently as his best friend's normally cheerful eyes darkened as the speedster mumbled the order to the shocked cashier. "It's Rob's favorite, too."

That it was. Dick's fingers twitched to the goggles planted firmly over his eyes, ignoring the stares he was getting from other people. He wilted, clinging onto the sliver of luck that reminded him Wally still hadn't figured out his secret identity. Or. His throat itched. It wasn't so much luck as it was his horrible, painful misfortune. He was certain that it would have been better if they'd never met. If Wally never met Dick Grayson, then Dick wouldn't have to look Kid Flash in the eye, reminded of every stupid thing Robin had yelled.

"He must have hurt you a lot, huh?" Dick muttered under his breath. He quietly thanked the clerk and guided them to a booth in the far back corner. The parlor looked nothing like the diner. The diner had been an 80's retro with candy stripe stools and a bright neon sign behind the register that glowed the name of the restaurant. The 'Marsh Mellow Ice Cream Parlor' had soft palettes you expected to see at a little girl's birthday party and polished wood floors. It was the type of design you wouldn't expect unless you ran by the Midwest. Or, more specifically, Central City.

"We're close. Were. Are. Dunno." Kid Flash sighed, and instead of one of the glares he'd tossed left and right to Kaldur, he wilted, shrinking in his seat with an ice cream sundae nearly bigger than his head. Chocolate ice cream splattered everywhere as he stabbed a fork in the banana. "I…had a falling-out a couple weeks back while I was in Gotham and almost exploded."

Dick nearly choked on his spoon. He tried hard not to roll his eyes and made a mental note to remind Wally that you didn't just casually mention _almost exploding_ in any conversation. Given how cool it was and all.

"After that it kinda just has been…weird." A smirk played across the speedster's lip and he reached over for a napkin. Dick hadn't realized the chocolate had splattered across the goggles until KF was wiping it off his face. "I mean, as weird as it can be other than the fact you're fighting crime with a guy who thinks aster, whelmed, and turbed are words."

They _were._ Dick's lips curled into a smile and he looked back to the cup of ice cream in front of him.

"Robby's…" Kid Flash's eyes scanned the room until finally they narrowed in defeat. "Robby's a bit odd."

"I'm sure we've established that." _Kid._ Dick bit the urge to be sardonic and interrupt KF's train of thought. Outerrupt. If he outerrupted the conversation, then Kid Flash could confess everything that'd been bothering him and Dick could force the thoughts in the back of his mind for later. He'd have to apologize. Now if only he could actually _contain_ Kid Flash in a room long enough to apologize. KF could zip out the room before Robin even had the chance to open his mouth.

"I've admired it."

Dick blinked with surprise.

"Superhero phase." KF waved his hand in an, _it doesn't matter_ gesture; eyes darting everywhere but the face parallel to his, then stopped. He stared at Dick hard, leaning back in his chair before shrugging. "I liked it because I thought he was cool. Then I _hated_ it because he could do everything that I couldn't."

"He can't run super fast," Dick chimed.

"But he _could_ get the approval of his father, Papa Bats." Kid shrugged nonchalantly, eyes back on his sundae as he lifted a fork and jabbed it into the banana. "_He_ could get the approval of everyone, so long as he did good. _He_ didn't suck horribly in school. Still suck. Had to take ninth grade English over my summer break because I couldn't retain the information."

"But you've got super speed." Shaking his head, the younger teenager leaned back in his seat, eyes glued to his best friend. "Can't you speed-read?"

"You'd think that, wouldn't you?" Wally huffed and rolled his eyes immaturely. "Can't speed-read. Not even the Flash can speed-read and retain the information after about a week or two. When I first found that out, he made me train until my head hurt. Now anything I speed-read I can remember for maybe two days."

He hadn't known that. Normally on a mission Robin was the one who became the human database anyway; now that everything was technological. "Sucks."

"Yeah, well—Rob doesn't need to speed-read. Keeps everything on his holographic computer—holocomp." Kid leaned forward and poked at his sundae. "Flash never intended on getting a sidekick. I—I doubt anyone did, _really_, but the fact I got to become his partner was prettyoverwhelming. Speedy—_Red Arrow_, another hero who doesn't work with us was the very second, and Robin is the _Boy Wonder_. The first documented sidekick _ever._"

"And your best friend." Dick forced himself not to look away and hoped Wally couldn't sense the strain in his voice. "Did you two really have a fight so badly that you're thinking about quitting the team?"

"Thought about it." Kid Flash shook his head, expression suddenly turning into a wounded puppy devastated and lost without its master. Wally crossed his arms, spoon between his teeth before shrugging. "Considered it. We had that fight _three days ago_, and I've been slipping back and forth between relative and actual time. Confusing crap. I…can't quit the team after all we went through to get our mentors to see us in a different light. Believe me when I say I've contemplated whether or not being Kid Flash was a good idea—when I first started out, I didn't think I could do the Flash legacy justice."

Dick opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off.

"I've wanted the Flash's approval more than anything. Still dunno if I have it or not; and the guy's like a father to me." Kid Flash pushed a bang out of his face. He wasn't looking Dick in the eye again. "The annoying _dotey_ kinda father, but I'd have it no other way. Then I wanted Speedy's approval. Dunno if he approves of me either—but he's definitely like my big brother. And then there's Aqualad and Batman—who I think, just think I'm progress. A current prototype that'll one day actually _be_ something if I allow myself. Supey and Miss M…they think of me as…I dunno. I know Artemis thinks of me as a pest. And Rob. Robin…well. I just figured…"

Without even realizing it, Dick's hand had gone white from clutching his spoon so tightly. He released it, feeling the surge of heat as blood flowed through his vessels and looked down to his cup of ice cream. It was melting. "Just figured what?"

Kid Flash fell silent. Dick refused to look him in the face and try to have an understanding to what his best friend was feeling, but that was becoming fleetingly impossible. "I don't even know his secret ID. The dude's my _best friend_ and…well. He basically told me to my face that I wasn't worthy of being Kid Flash. Flash has told me countless times that being a kid and fighting crime—there's going to be backlash. But…hearing it from the world's first sidekick and my _best friend_ that I'm not competent—that it's another thing I _suck at_, well. It hurts. And now I don't know how I'm feeling."

Their table fell silent as Dick looked through his melted ice cream.

"Can I ask you something—"

"I'm not—" Dick's steady breathing halted and he slumped in his chair. "Sure."

"You're 'not sure,' or…" Kid Flash smiled. "Sure?"

"Just…sure."

"Are you…you're the same Richard Grayson from the Flying Graysons, right?" _What_? Kid Flash studied him carefully, and the stun must have leaked to his face. Wally looked at him observantly, then leaned over the table with a speculative look. "I mean…telling a hot babe that you have a kid when you're about to do her is the best contraceptive on the planet, but I've heard stories about you. Seen some; did my research."

Numbness reached Dick's face followed by a cool air against his ears. He lifted his gaze to look at his best friend and—couldn't.

"Shit," mumbled the redhead. Apparently Kid realized what was wrong with the question before Dick could process it. His head hurt. "Look, I—"

"KF, is this…" Dick found his voice. He looked to the other teenager hesitantly, eyes blank as he recollected his thoughts. "Is this a date?"

Leaf-green eyes stared at him solidly, a red blush dusting across freckles before Kid Flash relaxed, warily smiling. "Only if you want it to be."

"Then…" Escape route? "I'm going to go powder my nose. Or something." Dick peeled away from the table, unable to smile as he slowly sauntered to the restroom, uncaring whether or not Kid saw his stressful frown. He ran a hand through his hair, hedges crisp against his fingers before a sigh escaped his lips. Looking back and forth between the restroom stalls and the door, Dick leaned against the wall and pulled out his comm.-link.

"_KF here." _

"Kid, I—" This was a bad idea. He shouldn't have—

"…_Robin?" _Silence.

"Wally…" Dick gritted his teeth, eyes darting everywhere in the empty bathroom. Suddenly a cool breeze hit his arm and he whirled around. The hairs on the back of his neck stood stiff, tingling and hard like a statue. Dick stood from his position and stuffed a hand down his other pocket and around the tiny batarang he used when his uniform wasn't available. Civvies-Robin had the utility belt. Dick Grayson, the smart kid from prep school did not. Quickly pressing his fingers against the comm.-link, Dick whirled around and met eyes with a small window above the stalls. It was open. "Hold on."

"Heeheheh. _Robby-poo_?~"

"What the—" _**BAM**_. The last Dick remembered was a large mallet impacting his head before blacking out completely.

**xxxxx**

What was it with supervillains hitting someone over the head? Then _kidnapping them_?

"Wakey, _wakey_, eggs and bakey! Heheheh."

And what about having a hostage? What about a superhero hostage; what was the point in having one even though you _knew_ they were a superhero, and the probability of actually winning a fight against one—especially between the Dynamic Duo—was a billion to one? Well; the art of perception was pretty screwed up in Gotham; so maybe that was it. Batman and Robin always won—everyone else was just too crazy to notice.

Robin—no, _Dick_ felt the first surge of energy flutter through his brain, squeezing through stiff slumber in his mind along with the spiraling headache that stirred him. The crown of his skull ached with pain, throbbing and probably swelling. Batman had warned him about not wearing protective headgear when they first started out together, but he'd insisted that if he didn't wear protective headgear performing stunts at high-altitude as an acrobat, then he didn't need to worry about falling off a two-story building and splitting his head open.

Which…led to a rather nasty fight, but Robin—Dick—managed. Now he slowly raised his head, eyes aching as they opened, and realized along with being blindfolded, he'd been tied up as well.

Something jabbed him in the stomach.

"Oof. _Ow._" Dick fidgeted. Where was he? What _happened_? He jiggled his wrist and cursed himself for extracting every last bit of his gear before having entered the mountain. Richard Grayson wasn't supposed to be Robin. Civvies Robin would have been much appreciated, however.

"You want some Sunnyside Up with that frown?" A cackle. A long, drawn out cackle that made a chill run up Dick's spine. _Joker._ "No? What about—_jam!_"

"AGH!" Dick yelped in pain, feeling the same stick stab him harshly in the stomach. He thrust forward, then rammed his head in the back of—a wall? A table? "…huh. Kinky."

"Hah." Joker laughed. A long string of laughter you expected from a clown in a circus—then Dick took back that analogy because it didn't feel proper—and waited until Joker was down bellowing in his giggles before jiggling the shackles again. "Richard. _Richard, Richard, Richard, Richard! _Hehehe—you look so _cute_ tied up like that~"

"You know for a moment there, I thought I'd been kidnapped by Michael Jackson." Dick jerked his arm again and—_damn_, he'd left his comm.-link at the diner. The batarang was still tucked in his pocket, judging from the sharp edges scraping into his thigh. "Too bad _he's_ the one who's dead. Great music. Classy and interesting."

"Hah! There it is, there it is!" Hyenas weren't snarling or laughing, so that ruled out the prospect of Harley also in the room. Damn—no tricking the idiot. Well. Idi_ette._ Joker was still giggling, jabbing whatever stick he held repeatedly into Dick's stomach. "That _humor_! That _voice_! Richie! Bruce Wayne's little kid—you're the little birdie, _aren't you_?"

Dick caught his breath. He _wasn't_ going to get caught a second time in the same day. Not that…he could. The only evidence the guy would be able to work on was the _batarang_ in his pocket. Dick rattled his arms, biting back the need to curse and—well. He needed to use the restroom, too.

"You're not answering the question! Zoomy, I guess it's true! Oh, so very, _very_ true!" Ick. Joker gushed, and by sound he was apparently dancing in spot. Irish jig? Russian jig? Joker was not a whelmed man. Not a whelmed man at all. "Doesn't he look so cute tied up like this?"

"You're ridiculous," Dick drawled. He bent his hands, suddenly grateful there was a part of his family that were contortionists. His shackles as he lifted them must have weighed at least thirty pounds. As he tried to sit up—_bend_, or anything, he was met with a slap in the face.

"Now, now, _Robby-poo_!~ We're not done with you!"

"What makes you think I'm Robin?" Dick demanded. Was he _drugged_? Dick sniffed the air, and the light familiar aroma of kerosene filled his nose. Shit.

"Don't play dumb, Richie—" Joker rammed the mallet into his knee. _SLAP. _

"_AH!" _

"Don't you remember Tuesday? Tulip Tuesday, when you quickly rushed out of the scene with this red-haired boy—then all of a sudden, _Kid Flash_ shows up? And then, and then—" Joker rammed him in the other knee—this time _harder_. "You come back! In your costume and everything! _I_ bet Bruce Wayne is even—"

"Bruce Wayne is _not_ Batman." Triple-fuck-shit. "Dude, you ever hear of kneepads?"

"Heeheehee! You're so funny!" Joker jabbed him in the stomach, this time with his finger. Dick shuddered. "Don't you think you answered that a little bit quickly? Zoomy's proof! Right, Zoomy? Zoomy's my partner!"

"That," said a different voice Dick had never heard, "I have. And it's _Zoom_, you idiot. Professor _Zoom._"

"Never heard of you," Dick chirped.

"Heehee, you're awful calm for a hostage, Robby-poo." Joker snickered right next to his ear. "Other hostages by now would pee their pants."

"My bladder's pretty empty, thank you." Dick shifted his foot. The shackles on his feet weren't nearly as tight, nor digging into his skin. If he could shimmy off his loafers, _flex_ his feet until the cuffs were taken off…he heard a hum—a vibrant, technological hum that tingled his ears. _Familiar_ hum.

"Just wait!" Joker held his head high and grinned. Or so Dick imagined. Maybe Robin and Batman had just been held hostage by the guy one too many times. "Just wait until the Batman knows that I've got his little birdie! Can you imagine the look on his face after I tell him in my doctor's voice, 'Hmm, Batsy, it turns out Robin _is_ flammable. Would you like some of the _birdie enchilada _with that?' and he'll just cry! Heeheehee, I am _good_!"

"I'm allergic to chicken, thanks." Dick rotated his foot clockwise, then counterclockwise. He made a mental note to kill the man who invented shoelaces—otherwise they would have come off easier—and gritted his teeth. "Hey, I was eating some Rocky Road before this. Zoomy, you mind getting food for me?"

"Haha! How rich! Hmm, _Richy-Rich!_" Joker was doing something with his hands. Again. Dick was lightly clunked on the nose. "Robby-Rich! Oh, _Robin_, just wait until the Bat comes!"

"Sure, sure. Bat. Yup. Sure. Zoomy, _ice cream_?" Dick gritted his teeth.

"Can it, kid!" Zoom slapped him in the face. "Why aren't you scared? Tell me, tell me now! _Where's Kid Flash_? Just _what_ are you _stalling_ for?"

"Can't a prepubescent teenage boy ask for Rocky Road ice cream in hopes the dairy products and calcium may help him g—" _**CRASH.**__"—_oh, look at the time."

The door burst open—or, _something._ A gasp escaped Joker's lips, followed by a curse from whoever the hell Professor Zoom was, and the room had gone dead silent. _Batman, _it had to be Batman. Joker might have sent a threatening letter or something.

"The party has _arrived_!~" Joker sung. A _SMACK_ was heard and Dick could only assume someone had punched him in the face.

Immediately anything inches away from his face seemed to have disappeared. Joker and Zoom had been pushed off of him and—

"Get him out of here, Kid!"

Dick's heart dropped. No, _nononono_—the blindfold was lifted from his face, slow and easily and he could feel his chest throbbing with pain. Dick's eyes met the many freckles that littered Kid Flash's face along with livid, _vibrant_ green eyes. Heat brushed against his lips, a huff of breath escaping Wally's mouth as the taller boy did a quick check of him head-to-toe.

Anger swelled in the place of shock. Dick's eyes widened three times their size and—

"I'm going to," KF whispered steadily, "vibrate you _really fast_ now."

—red gloves were now gripping his biceps, and out of nowhere his head began to jerk back and forth. His brain cells swam dizzily, slamming into his skull. Dick took one look of the room he'd been taken to—a warehouse probably near Happy Harbor bay, old and abandoned, but with tables littered with high tech machinery that Joker was too stupid to use. Superboy, Miss Marian, and Kaldur were scattered around the room with Joker's stupid minions and—

"Omigod, that worked." Kid Flash took less than a second to laugh and scooped Dick from the table. He jumped, arms bounded tightly around the younger teenager's body and swiveled toward the door. "That totally worked! I totally vibrated you out and—you didn't explode and—" Kid Flash glared at him. "You're _totally_ never going to the bathroom by yourself _ever again_! I _forbid_ you to take a whiz!"

"Yeah, because the buddy system totally helps!" Immediately through the shock with his head still pooling and brain cells buzzing, Dick felt anger swell up. He pressed a hand to his bleeding nose, feeling as if his lungs had been punctured with forty holes. "_What are you doing here_?"

KF blinked. "I'm saving—"

"You _shouldn't_ have! Put me down, I'll—ugh." Dick cringed. He was _angry_. Frustrated, irritated, and _terrified._ When it came to facing the Joker, _no one_ could go at him alone. He didn't want to see Wally hurt again. Not after the first time.

"What are you so angry about?" By the time Kid Flash stopped running they ended up in the woods close by the beach. The warehouse could be seen with plenty more under the dusk of Happy Harbor's twinkling night.

The speedster glared at him—all three hallucinations of them while Dick tried to grapple reality.

Dick hit him. He threw a bloodstained hand against Kid Flash's chest and felt the pulsations resonate in his own body. "Does this always happen when you vibrate other people? The bloody nose, I mean?"

"Um, well, you're the first." Kid Flash clicked his tongue, gaze speculative before he looked back down. "Hey—the bloody nose will wear off. It always doe—"

_Click._

Out of nowhere Dick felt Kid stiffen, tightening his hold around the younger teen as he pivoted around. Dick attempted to shrug out of Wally's grasp and was met with outright refusal. As he looked around to the specific reason why Kid Flash had frozen, a blinding yellow suit met his gaze. More so than Wally's himself.

A suit exactly like the Flash's. Only…_yellow._

"Zoom." Wally's voice cracked. It trembled, faltering uncertainly, and Dick could feel the speedster tremor against his shoulder.

This was Professor Zoom? Dick raised his head, shifting slightly in the other teenager's grasp and shivered. He was wrong. The Flash-lookalike looked taller—gawkier with a more crazed and senile smirk and bony fingers. His eyes glowed, dangerously sparking with—_was that electricity_? His voice was needle-y and clipped—so fickle and thin that it almost sounded like wasn't there.

"One of yours?" Dick asked the air.

Wally's clinch tightened around his body. "Just like the Joker."

Dick held his breath. Wally's heart felt like it'd stopped beating—or was it just beating _too fast_?

Zoom crept closer—slowly, inching further from the direction of their run with something in his hand. White and glistening—like a _gun_—and his fingers groping a trigger. "Did you miss me?"

"What are you doing here?" Kid Flash was _scared._ It wasn't like when Wally would brag about defeating Captain Boomerang or Mister Twister. Wally's voice was never that octave, and he never felt this scrawny against Dick's stature.

"What do I _always_ do whenever I'm around you, _Kid_?" Zoom tossed his head back, loud cackle—not as cruel as the Joker's, but just as disturbing—and he zipped close. "I try. I try _again_ and _again _to _kill you_—"

Suddenly Kid Flash remembered he had legs. Dick grasped the speedster's bicep tightly as Wally swiveled and tore through the woods, everything around them becoming a forgotten blur. Dick gritted his teeth as air slapped his face hard and looked back up. Again, Wally's face had hardened and he was looking ahead of them. "KF! KF, you need to—"

"I try so hard—" Zoom had caught up to him. He—_He had super speed_, and trailed right next to Wally as if the speed was no problem. Professor Zoom was a _meta_—? "to kill you. Because you're a _stupid_ kid who has _no_ business being the Flash's partner—"

Dick cringed. That…that sounded too familiar.

"—and you know what I've decided, Kid? Kid _Flash_?" Zoom laughed to the bottom of his throat and went _faster_ than Kid Flash. One step faster, with the device in his hand and a smirk across his lips. "_Barry_ doesn't kill—" Just who was this guy? "—and I know something better, Kid. You don't deserve to run along the Flash, and _I_ know how to get rid of you. Because you'll _never_ be like your uncle."

Kid Flash was slowing down. The adrenaline was lifting and—oh, _shit._

"Wally, keep running—!"

_**SSSSZZZZZZT**_

**xxxxx**

**Author's Note: **

So. Hate to pull a Cartoon Network on you, but there won't be an update next week. I've officially run out of chapters and will be writing more. Thanks for the reviews, sorry for the temporary hiatus, and _please_ don't bite my head off. Anyway, reviews would be nice!

_Preview: "Young…Justice? We are the Teen Titans!"_


	14. Titan

_Note: You figure it out halfway through this chapter, but when it refers to Dick, it's talking about YJ!Robin. When it refers to Robin, we're talking TT!Robin. Same goes for Wally and Kid Flash._

**Titan. **

Wally felt like crap.

Gravel dug into the back of his head, concrete piercing into his neck as he slowly came to, and he felt fingers wrapped delicately around his arms, lightly shaking him awake and maybe even trembling a bit. Slowly he opened his eyes, groaning as sunlight hit his head, and pushed himself off the concrete. The burn of his brain rewiring for the situation hurt like crazy, and suddenly all the thoughts fluttered back to his mind. Dick had been stupidly kidnapped, he hadn't been doing his stupid job right—tried hard not to yell at Kaldur for lecturing him—and they went to save Dick. Then…_Zoom._

"Oh my god," Kid Flash's eyes opened sharply and he stood to his feet, eyes surfing the area. A hand stayed firm on his wrist and gently yanked him down. He looked to his captor and felt his chest tingle with warmth. "Di…Richard?"

Dick looked back to him, expression relieved with a short nod, and placed a hand on his bicep. "You've been out for a while."

"Where are we—"

_**CRASH **_

Kid Flash jolted back, immediately scooping Dick in his arms and tightening his hold. There was a loud cackle—but nothing he'd ever heard. His eyes surfed the area, noting they were in some city, but nothing he'd ever recognized. Then out of nowhere, a large—_was that a green triceratops?—_stomped through the ground, thudding and pounding against the ground as he trampled through the city. Some old British guy was running on the ledge with a cane in his hand and—_whatthehell_ the green triceratops just turned into a green _boy_!

"Um," Wally mumbled under his breath, hand squeezing Dick's shoulder harder than he probably should have, "I don't think…we're in Kansas anymore."

They stood there out of shock, then out of nowhere, Wally actually saw something he recognized. The large _R_ emblem, and the red bike that signified one person and one person only. He immediately swept Dick off his feet, holding the younger teen close and zoomed as close to the R-Cycle as possible. They weren't talking, but—"Robin—I—_Robin_?"

Shorter. Taller. Shortaller, maybe? Older. The uniform was off. Most _definitely _off. Caught off guard, the Robin impersonator pushed off the bike, pulling an aerial flip most Olympic gold medalists would _kill_ for, and landed gracefully like a little kitty-cat next to Kid Flash.

Green. There was a hell lot of green on this guy, and he took one look at the redhead. Dick was pushing to get out of Wally's grasp, but he couldn't help himself. He…stared, and the Rob-impersonator looked back.

It was maybe a second at most, because that green thing was whining in a pubescent voice Wally was grateful he no longer had to deal with, and a creepy sneer spread across the guy's face. He pulled out something that looked suspiciously like a batarang only in the form of a bird, and—"You're not my Kid Flash."

"Yeah? Well, you don't smile." Kid Flash snorted, eyebrow arched as high as he could push his hairline and he slid Dick to the ground. "My Rob smiles more."

For some reason this Rob only stiffened. He scowled, glared, and sneered—looking almost like Papa Bats himself before whirling around. There was more than just the green-kid: some machine-man, this really orange girl, and this really pale girl.

"Titans!" This Rob—the _other_ Rob—roared. "_Go_!"

**xxxxx**

"Should I…?"

Considering he was still healing? No. But… "I think it's best if you did."

Dick watched as KF gingerly slid him to the ground before zipping off to the explosion. He didn't miss the way this Robin had glared at him, or the way that Robin's lips were curled into a tight frown, and he probably screamed of Dick Grayson on the Gotham Academy blazer alone. Wally flashed him one look of concern, and he tried his best to smile back before faltering and sliding away. He still had one measly batarang tucked in his pocket and that wasn't going to be enough to keep the crazy man at bay.

He was…playing _civilian._

"Sure, let _KF_ be the one who totally gets to keep his powers when we're in a parallel universe; that's totally not unfair at all!" He threw his arms in the air and ducked as a blow of asphalt flung his way. Dick did a flip backwards—then felt his feet lift from the ground.

"Citizen!" cried the girl holding him—she kinda made him think of Miss M. Totally an alien. "Are you hurt?"

"Nah," Dick smiled grimly and did a quick check of who she was. This chick was orange. And floating. And referring to him as a citizen, so that definitely meant that she was the good guy. "I'm pretty whelmed myself."

He also mentally cursed himself, staring into her vivid green eyes as she smiled reassuringly and flipped her red hair. What was it with redheads that had some attachment to him? Seriously. "You must run from the scene—it is—it is not safe for you here!"

"Not safe." Dick looked back to Wally, who had been caught by a green gorilla and hauled to stand on his feet. Batman had taught him about parallel universes, but he'd always thought it was a billion to one chance of it ever happening. And the girl's arms were kind of comfy. "Are you guys Young Justice?"

"Young…Justice? We are the Teen Titans!" exclaimed the girl. Maybe she was an alien—it would have made a lot of sense. Fervently she shook her head, green eyes gleaming with confusion as they began a descent near a café. "Stay here, where it is safe."

"Safe. Sure." Dick stuck his hands down his pockets, instinctively wrapping fingers around the batarang digging into his leg. He stared at the debris, hand wrapped so tight that he was sure it was smearing with his own blood. Miss Alien-number-two soared back to her friends, hands glowing the same bright green as her eyes and rather than her soft, airy voice, a loud warrior cry left her throat.

He stood there with his hand fisted around the batarang. Not astrous.

The wake of destruction being caused forced Dick into the café where people were cowering. The man he could only assume was this universe's Mad Mod (who else had that grimy haircut, really?) took one look at him, and Dick pretended not to notice. He surveyed the sidewalks and yanked an idiot little kid who still had the nerve to be running around.

Bright blue eyes stared at him in confusion. Dick rolled his eyes. "Hello? You see Mad Mod's horrific outfit over there? You're gonna get yourself killed."

The eight-year-old boy stared at him plainly, reminding Dick faintly of himself. "He uses the mechanism in his cane to generate holograms of the 60s and bring fear in people. They're not real."

Whoa, whelming vocabulary. He stared in surprise at the blue-eyed little boy and arched an eyebrow.

"LOOK OUT!"

Dick swiveled to the left as the so-called cane was directed at his face. Mad Mod laughed a familiar, foreign-laugh as Dick clutched the little boy tightly and tumbled under a table, batarang at hand. Mod grinned, whirling the cane in his hand.

"Bloody ol' crumpet." Mod tapped the ground with his cane, grinned, and immediately a giant elephant was summoned into the room. "Where are ya, ya li'l duckling?"

"Mad Mod," Dick rolled his eyes. "Raping the British language, _everywhere. _He's totally not turbed."

Small fingers tapped Dick's hand. "That's a batarang."

"Uh…yup." Looking to the little boy huddled next to him, Dick bit his lip. Where was _Wally_?

"Robin uses birdarangs," chirped the boy. "Not batarangs."

"A birdawha—?"

"Mod!" Robin. The other Robin swung into the room, through the elephant, and whipped out a red-tipped device Dick had never seen before. A birdarang, probably, from what the kid had said. This Robin swiveled just like Dick had done earlier, maneuvering through the tables before delivering a kick to Mod's torso.

"Bloody hell, you little imp—!" Mod harrumphed, picking himself up from the ground. He scowled at Robin, tapped the cane on the floor, and dodged as Robin kicked him again before throwing the birdarang his direction. Mod dodged with ease and sniggered. "You're getting old, ol' chap!"

For the first time since they got on the field, Dick saw Robin smirk, standing high with his arms crossed like the battle was done and over. "Maybe you should get your eyes checked, Mad Mod."

"What?" What Mod hadn't noticed was that the birdarang landed on the thin wood of his cane, stiff and deep in the cane and…was beeping. "_AH!_"

The cane exploded into bits and pieces, falling out of Mad Mod's hands as crumbled pieces and rendering him unconscious. Robin pulled handcuffs out of his utility belt and wrapped them gruffly around Mod's wrists. He snorted to himself, slinging the villain over his shoulder just as things settled down outside.

"Nice work," Dick heard himself say. He crawled out from under the table, readily stuffing the batarang in his pocket. Robin stiffened at his spot, expression sobering—_too sober—_as Dick stood parallel to his counterpart. As far as Dick could tell, he didn't like this Robin. He'd gotten rid of the green on his uniform after his twelfth birthday—mostly because he had gone through a growth spurt, and partially because he got tired of KF staring at his uniform funny as if it were from a circus. Technically, it was, but...Dick shoved that thought out of his head and forced a Robin-smirk. "My name's Dick Grayson. Who're you?"

There were two ways this would have gone. Robin would have tensed at the name, immediately acknowledging who 'Dick Grayson' was, or he would have stayed absolutely still and kept his cool. The tricky part about the second one was that you could never tell if it was a bluff.

Still, a green glove met Dick's extended hand and clenched it tightly. "Robin."

Dick's eyes flickered with suspicion, along with a less-than-stealthy frown behind his chirp smile. "I came with Kid Flash."

"So I've gathered," Robin said wryly.

I can _also_ swing across buildings without it looking like I just got laid, Dick didn't say. Their team. At best, the green guy with the high-pitched voice could pass for Wally. The android-looking one had bulk like Conner and Kaldur, which left the orange girl and the gray girl.

Dick snapped out of his thoughts when there was a tug on his hand. He looked down, met by bright blue eyes and a flurry of black hair. "Yeah?"

The little boy tilted his head to the side, almost actually passing for cute. "Do you miss it?"

"Miss what?" Dick tilted his head and crossed his arms—almost exactly like Robin was doing with Mad Mod thrown over his shoulder.

"Being an acrobat." Bright blue eyes squinted curiously, head tilting to the side almost like a detective. Dick felt his heart drop, just as Robin did the former reaction and stiffen.

"What's your name, kid?" Dick asked. At the same time as _Robin._ Man, this was creepy.

"Timothy Jackson Drake. You can call me Timmy." Timmy beamed shamelessly.

Dick looked over to Robin warily, desperate not to find any other super-freaky-deaky tendencies before bending to Timmy's level and gesturing toward the door. The glint in this kid's eyes let Dick know this little brat knew _way_ too much. "You can leave now."

"Okay." He held up the exact batarang that…had been in Dick's pocket. "Can I keep this?"

"I…what the—bah, just _go._" Dick ran a hand through his hair, rolled his eyes, and ignored the cheeky kid's smile as he teetered out the café into his original direction. Anyone nearby the attack had resumed their tasks of eating and ordering pastries, leaving Dick alone with his freaky counterpart. He frowned, eyes narrowing at Robin's blank, calculative stare. It was just too Bruce-like. "Kid Flash is right. You should smile more."

"Dick!" On cue, a yellow blur caught Dick's eye and he nearly fell over as Wally grasped him tightly, nose burying into the crook of his neck. Dick fidgeted, confined with arms wrapped thoroughly over his waist, and twitched. Wally gripped him tighter. "There you are! Omigod, _Dick_!" Suddenly the grasp was forgotten, and Kid Flash looked at him, cheeks red and eyes wider than Wally's buggy goggles. "I mean. HiRichard."

"Hi," Dick managed. He eyed his best friend—_ex_-best friend, and smoothed out his blazer. Red fluttered across his cheeks, and he refused to look Wally in the eye until it was thoroughly suppressed. It was…_confusing_, trying to figure out how Wally was affecting him. It didn't normally happen like this.

Wally took the time away from him to proceed with poking Robin. Repeatedly.

Robin scowled. "Stop that."

"Smile more," the speedster smirked.

"Let's get back to the Tower." Robin shoved the redhead away, trekking down the small space that led toward the door. He looked over to Dick, eyes possibly narrowing behind his mask before turning back toward the door.

"You think there's a reason why he's looking to _you_ for approval, Mister Grayson?" Wally nudged the shorter teen in the shoulder, grinning teasingly. "_Son of Bruce Wayne?_"

Dick fidgeted and forced himself to look his best friend, guise of Robin forcedly dissipating. "Adopted."

"Right. Um." Without hesitation, Wally's hand slowly slid into Dick's, fingers trickling down the younger teen's wrist and grabbing hold tightly at the palm. KF looked away, pathetically trying to look cool, and turned the color of his hair. "_Technically_…all the times we've clung onto each other, you've been safe. It's uh. Precautionary?"

If it wasn't for the fact Wally was hitting on him. Dick bit the inside of his lips, eyes glued in the way his hand automatically tangled with Wally's, and tugged him toward the door. Technically, the back of his mind chimed, they still hadn't finished their date. He wondered if cross-dimension travel counted as part of desert. "Let's go."

"Yeah," Wally agreed. His voice was hoarse, obviously still shaken from…whoever Zoom was. Dick made a mental note to ask who Professor Zoom was, and why Wally was so afraid of him.

By the time they finally made it outside, the other Robin had finished what Dick assumed was explaining the situation to his teammates. Robin turned around, took one look at Dick's intertwined hands with Wally and—summoned the closest thing to a reaction Dick had seen since the odd warp. He had the urge to pull his hand away, but not a moment too soon, Kid had done exactly that to run a hand through his hair.

"So." KF rocked between his heels. Dick resisted urge to roll his eyes.

"Dude!" the green one immediately came forward, hands thrown in the air and eyes as wide as that Timmy kid. Dick flinched as the other teen stood parallel to Wally and puffed his chest out. "The way you threw like, a billion sucker punches in that robot before totally making it _explode_? That was _awesome!_ The name's Beast Boy." He grinned casually and wiggled his eyebrows. "I can change into things."

"You turned into a T-Rex, dude." KF broke out of his stiff character into a matching grin. "A _T-Rex_! Man, I would _love_ to sketch you!"

"We should get back to the Tower and call Kid Flash," Robin said carefully. "The _other_ Kid Flash."

"Sure." Wally nodded and the next thing Dick knew, he was swept off his feet, firmly placed in KF's arms and demeanor looking...amused. He looked different compared to back at Mount Justice. Relaxed, and…smug, almost. "Maybe he actually smiles more."

**xxxxx**

Robin, Beast Boy, Cyborg, Starfire, and Raven. And in all honesty, the names pretty much defined 'em.

Beast boy was _green._ An odd, disturbingly human shade of green only a little darker than Megan. He squeaked a lot when he talked. Cyborg was…a cyborg. Dick wanted specs, but being Richard Grayson he wouldn't have been able to get them even if he tried. Starfire was…well. Orange. Her hair was an all-too fiery red and she lit up like a star. The cosmic kind; not the washed-out Hollywood celebrity ones you saw on TV. Just when the girl _smiled_ gave him a cavity. And Raven was…well, a loner. Blue, dreary, and dull expression that told all her thoughts on the world with the most interesting gem on her forehead.

And Dick had no question about it: he hated this universe's Robin. Without a doubt, Beast Boy had the same attention span and intellect as _Wally_, and Cyborg shifted from being as intellectually inclined as the Dynamic Duo and being as broad and social as…well. No one Dick had ever met before, but he was pretty good-natured.

Starfire offered some weird Tamaranean food (Miss M, _so_ Miss M), and Raven sighed in her despair, calling BB and KF 'Twin Idiots.' So right off the bat she was _definitely_ 'Missy.

So technically, they pretty much had the same team. Only Robin was the leader, and so…_broody._ Dick had best interest in mind, but he was leering closer and closer to calling the guy _Batman._

The Titans Robin had mentioned back at the crime scene looked horrendously like a 'T.' Literally. Sure, maybe it was a step up from a cave, but a giant 'T' was tediously underwhelming. Then again, 'Teen Titans' might have been a little more creative than 'Young Justice.'

Okay, a _lot_ more.

But for a Junior Justice League (as Red Arrow bluntly put it), it would've made more sense that _they_ got a tower and the _Teen Titans_ got a cave. Because Titans totally lived in caves. Psyche and Eros certainly made out enough in caves.

Then again, Eros was a minor god.

Dick pushed the thought aside once Kid Flash deemed it safe for him not to stay in vibrating arms. They sat in what evidently was the Main Ops room-slash-meeting room with a U-shaped couch in the middle and a series of mechanisms that ranged from game consoles to a motherboard that probably had the specs of the entire Tower. Robin would have hacked the systems and gathered data over his current surroundings. Richard Grayson, the pending thorn in Dick's _side_, did not.

"Cool," Kid Flash chirped. "We should totally convince Red Tornado to upgrade to one of these."

Unfortunately Dick found it incredibly tacky. "I don't think Robin would approve."

"Robin can suck on a—not _you_." Oh, _totally_ 'him.' Wally looked over to the other Robin as Robin stared back, nearly completely unfazed followed by a thin scowl that turned his lips. And somehow, Dick had a surefire feeling that…Wally actually wasn't talking about their Robin. About _Dick.._

Why was that, anyway?

Wally good-naturedly crossed his arms, innocently grinning before leaning into Dick's heat. "I was totally going to say motion sensors. I swear."

"You should ease up a little," Dick whispered back. Kid Flash's little jokes were beginning to affect the actual Titans. Starfire, polite as she appeared, frowned each time Kid Flash spoke. Cyborg had taken Wally's witty comments earlier in stride, Beast Boy's eyes flickering uneasily as he forced a smile, and Raven…well, she looked introverted and uncaring, or purposely let it slide. Sort of like she _knew_ why Wally was being like this. At that notion, Dick's hand clawed on the redhead's elbow padding and his heart tightened. "Don't take it out on this Robin, KF." _Take it out on me instead. __**Please.**_

"Fine." Wally relaxed under the team's scrutiny, losing the snarkiness he usually showed Artemis, then raised his head. "Do you think you could get us home?"

"We should contact Kid Flash, first of all." Robin nodded curtly in their direction, rudeness apparently forgotten in favor if leading the team. He took out a small circular device that probably worked as this universe's comm.-links and pressed a button on it. Dick was gonna have to ask specs for it later. "Kid Flash."

"_Robin!_" said the other voice. Something was…off about this voice though. There was familiarity when he spoke; a tone close to Wally's, but…different. _"Whatcha need?" _

Wally turned his head to the side forty-five degrees and rocked between his feet. Evidently only Dick and he found it odd. The rest of the Teen Titans were relieved not hearing more of Wally's smartass comments.

"How fast can you get here?"

_Zip!_ A yellow blur zipped through the Main Ops room, speeding through the kitchen, the game consoles, and then finally stopped in front of Robin. He returned from the flurry of a yellow blur with a subsandwich in one hand and the Teen Titan comm.-link in the other.

And…he was _younger._

"In a Flash, Rob. Hey, you got any ketchup? This is a little dry…" The uniform was right, other than the missing circle from the center of his chest. The flurry of red hair and hurricane of freckles was even right. But…KF2 was younger than Wally. Dick's age at the very least, being half a head shorter than Robin and much closer to Beast Boy's mentality. At best maybe he was just a midget for a fifteen-year-old. And Robin was just really tall. Totally.

Not totally. Totally _astrous._

"Kid Flash."

"Yup, Rob?"

"Turn around."

"Wha…wow." KF2 turned around, eyes narrowing at KF1 and Dick, and somehow that didn't make the tension in Dick's stomach ease any more. Knowing Bruce, Batman, and _himself_ as long as he had, Dick didn't miss the way Robin's stature stiffened now that KF2 was there. The rest of Robin's teammates showed no notice to Robin's subtle change; not even Starfire, and she was leaking more, '_I love Robin'_ pheromones than Miss M to Superboy.

There was one difference Dick realized when KF2 zipped up to KF1, actually staring _up_ into Wally's eyes before revolving around him and jabbing fingers in yellow-and-red padding.

KF2 had blue eyes. They seemed just as vibrant, absolutely as much as livid, and had the same little bright flecks at his irises. He munched on the sandwich, crossing one arm over his chest and observantly scrutinized Wally. "I like the padding."

"I like the sandwich." And just like that, Wally brought up a hand, smiled brightly, and jiggled it. "Share?"

"Dude." Dick nudged him in the arm. "You're totally backwashing with yourself."

"Kinky," Kid Flash grinned. Why the heck were they _taking_ this so well? In any given irrational situation, it was normally Wally who freaked and Dick who had to reassure his best friend that he was being a complete idiot. KF2 tore the sandwich apart and proceeded with giving half to Wally.

Wally ate it all in a bite and a half.

It was still gross. _Incredibly_ gross, but…Wally was being himself. Not the depressing kid who was frustrated over his argument with their Robin, or who was dwelling about his incompetence. Without even realizing it, Dick leaned closer to Wally, relief fluttering through his stomach. Wally vibrated; either noticing the body leaning against him or because KF2 was still as much Wally as KF1 was.

"Obviously we'll have to get you guys back to…wherever you're from." Kid Flash scratched his head, eyebrow arched in the air before turning his head toward Robin. "Futureshock?"

Robin shook his head. "Alternate universe."

"My name's Richard Grayson." Dick elbowed Wally in the arm. "You can call me Dick." Considering he didn't even have the choice of Civvies-Robin and all.

Apparently it'd been the wrong thing to say. They may not have spent more than thirty seconds with one another, but Dick could spot the Wally-tendency with ease as Kid Flash blinked, sandwich forgotten before he crossed his arms and stood taller. "Oh. Cool."

Wally made an effort to touch his shoulder to Dick's, expression twitchier than usual. "It's probably better if we ask Batma—"

"Nope." Kid Flash shrugged, bringing a hand in the air before zipping over to Cyborg's side. Cyborg and Beast Boy had been locked in a conversation ever since they got to the Tower. "Don't ask Batman."

"Why not?" Dick blabbed. As far as he knew, the Bruce in his universe was, while rough around the edges, fairly turbing. His eyes narrowed, no shame as he looked back and forth through the team, but they simply looked back. This had to be the most _awkward_ team up Dick had ever been in. At this point he was ready to steal Robin's clothes, look past the social-ineptitude, and team back up with their world's Kid Flash.

"'Cause Cyborg'll have you back in a day or two, after he figures out what universe you guys are from." Kid Flash eyed them carefully, and…smiled in that way Wally did back at the diner when he talked about that girl. Like he was trying to hide something and talk about it at the same time. "Right, Cy?"

"It'll take me a few days, yeah." Cyborg crossed his arms and grinned. "But cross-dimensional travel? No biggie."

"Too bad my Rob isn't here." Wally crossed his arms and Dick stiffened as a red glove made its way on his shoulder. Green eyes fluttered through the area, suddenly apologetic from his earlier behavior, and…so much tamer. Wally smiled softly. "I mean, he's a freak, but…he's good with this stuff. If we're not gonna get Batman involved, that is."

"We're _definitely_ not going to get Batman involved," Kid Flash declared. He looked up to the Titans, grinning innocently. "Mind if I stay a couple days? Beat BB's butt in videogames, get to know my duplicate, and help you out with this…cross-dimension…thingie."

"Oh, Kid Flash!" Starfire gasped, and had it not been the lucidness in the conversation, Dick would have sworn most of the Titans had disappeared. They certainly did a good job of observing, if anything else. "You and Jinx are having, the 'lover's spat,' are you not?"

Dick frowned. Wally blinked. Who the heck was Jinx?

Kid Flash simply shrugged, arms crossed as he proceeded with thumbwrestling the semi-livid Beast Boy. "I think we're off again right now."

"What a shame." She looked to Robin forlornly, eyebrows furrowed worriedly. "You are…normally so forward with your feelings."

Both KFs snorted, and Dick actually didn't blame them. He knew enough about Wally to write a _book_, and one thing was clear: Wally wore his heart on his sleeve and smiled at just about every little critter that walked his way. Or flipped out, in Dick's case.

"You can stay." Robin turned his head like he hadn't noticed the look—from someone Dick had thought was his freaking _girlfriend_—bowed his head, and directed himself toward the door coated with a 'T.' "I'll do more research in my room."

Why was this Robin such a _dick_?

Ugh, scratch that. Why was this guy such an _ass_?

"Alright, Rob." Cyborg mused. "Keep us updated."

And why was the team _letting_ him be such a jerk? Dick twitched, and without another word he followed Robin out the room, eyes locked on the back of the guy's cape. "Wait—" At the tip of his tongue, _Bruce_ threatened to roll out, but he held it back in place of frustration. "You're Dick Grayson, _aren't you_?"

They were far enough away from the Main Ops room that his voice wouldn't have resonated off the walls. Robin's left foot stopped in mid-step from his stride, stature tense and demeanor actually _darker_ than Bruce's back at home.

A frown twisted across Dick's lips, eyes never leaving the back of the other Robin's head as they stood nearly six feet away from one another. He crossed his arms, chest swelling with irritation. Somehow, the name falling off his lips suddenly sounded taboo and forbidden-fruit-ish; like it'd never been spoken inside the Tower before.

"You're me," Dick began again hoarsely. This Robin looked so…_old._ Stiff, lifeless, and the possibility (no, the _fact_) that they had an unspoken DNA match was far on the other end of turbed. "You're totally me."

Robin pretty much had what Dick gave up trying to attain a long time ago. He was the leader of a team. People looked at him and didn't see a pipsqueak. _Wally_ smiled at him, and didn't see him as a pipsqueak.

"What about Batman?" Dick crossed his arms against his chest and glared. Batman was his _savior_, for crying out loud. Bruce…made a better life for him. Totally better. "Why can't we talk to Batman? He's our—"

"I don't need him." Robin's tone sounded centered, and maybe even a little bitter. _What the hell_? He turned around, eyes making contact with Dick and hands balling into fists. But that wasn't the part that made him angry. No, this Robin was _glaring_ and _scowling_, and sounded even smug. "How old are you, Dick?"

"Thirteen," Dick bit back. He stood taller, but at best he was Kid Flash's height. This world's Kid Flash.

"And does he know your secret identity?"

"I—Wally? What?" he blinked, jaw tightening as he looked back to Robin. There was a specific way the other Robin spoke that sounded more like a confirmation than a legitimate question. Dick's chest tightened and he dug his fingernails into the palms of his hands before looking to the ground. He wanted to pummel the other Robin into oblivion, but right now he wasn't even civvies-Robin. He was a freaking _civilian. _"No."

"Do anyof them know your secret identity?"

"No." 'Any,' being his teammates. Conner figured it out, but he was currently frustrated with the fact their world's Robin and Kid Flash were in the middle of a fight that caused Wally to consider _quitting_. Dick's throat went dry. "But Batman—"

"Has to have complete and utter control over what you do, what you _say_, and how you feel," Robin spat. He stood, legs apart as if knowing what he said would provoke Dick and irritate him. It did. He smirked bitterly, physique tightening more than it already had as he lowered his head into a leer. "_Especially_ how you feel."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Bruce may not have agree with his methods _at times, _but Dick proved his worth as Robin a long time ago; someone who _always_ had Batman's back and _never_ faltered on the battlefield. Unless it came to Wally—but that was different, he reminded himself. Absolutely and totally different. He still couldn't figure out quite why. Dick took a step forward. "You are _so_ not whelmed."

"You're such a little kid." Dick winced as Robin stood his ground, head held high. "You see what you're doing? You're going to grow up _just like him_, trusting every one of his moves. You're playing his little rouse as Batman and Bruce Wa—" Robin bit on the name, a hiccup in his speech pattern before shaking his head dismissively, a small and hoarse laugh escaping his throat. "You said yourself, your Kid Flash doesn't know who you even are_._"

It stung; hearing for a second time from someone else's mouth the truth. Dick pushed the irony aside that he was hearing this from himself—_literally_—and he felt the anger swell in his chest. If this Robin was so different from him, did that mean the Bruce in this dimension was just as callous? No. There wouldn't have been a Robin if there hadn't been a Bruce Wayne. Dick took that moment to step forward; small easy steps until he stood parallel to his other self. Robin didn't smile.

"You're a fool, if you believe you can follow under him this long without feeling any regret, Richard." With that, Robin turned away and left. So _Batman-like_ with the bitterness and sternness in his voice that the thought of calling the guy Bruce still hadn't left his mind.

Dick stood there, speechless, for what had to be an entire three minutes. His hands had curled tightly until they were pale fists, and he made no effort to follow the other teen. To get more answers. Batman—Bruce had always taught him to be logical and understanding of the situation, and while half the time it led to a fight, Dick never doubted him. This Robin was bitter; specifically about how Bruce had freaking _raised_ him, but…still _respected _him.

Like he'd said earlier. There wouldn't have been a Robin without a Bruce Wayne. Probably not a Dick Grayson, either.

Running a hand through his hair, Dick turned around and trudged back in the room. While they were here, Wally was going to insist Dick stayed at the Tower. It was too dangerous, evidently from Mad Mod's little escapade, and he couldn't do anything without actually telling Wally who he was.

He entered the room, finding Wally had opted against the counter with a blissful sigh and decided to watch Starfire work on making some weird alien food. The moment he entered, green eyes turned his way, registering Dick, and zipped to his side.

"Hey." A smile twisted across Wally's face, concerned.

"Hi." Dick forced his own smile, fingers curling against the palms of his hands.

"I…" Wally fidgeted. "I'm sorry."

_What the hell_. If Dick hadn't had enough shock from the weary day fending from Joker, Professor Zoom, Mad Mod—Conner, _Kaldur and Wally_—then he certainly did now, looking back to his best friend with one frustration gone to a new one.

Red-gloved hands clutched Dick's shoulders, firm and protective like they weren't willing to _ever_ let go_._ The specks in Wally's eyes had surfaced, gleaming with a soft whine like they had suffered through death. This expression was different from after Wally had woken up. It wasn't like when he vibrated the younger teen out of the handcuffs, or even when they were talking in the ice cream parlor. Wally looked scared, ashamed, and…_incompetent. _"It's my fault."

"_What_ is your fault, exactly?" Dick's chest clenched tightly and he crossed his arms, standing taller in his place. He still felt feebly small.

"That you were _kidnapped_?" Wally's eyebrows knit together with frustration and—

"KF, you're vibrating me."

"Oh. Sorry. I didn't mean to, I just." Wally looked down to Dick's face, gently picking at the bang that fluttered into blue eyes. It…was that feeling again, where Wally's green eyes made the younger teen's cheeks tingle, and his expression made Dick's chest ache. Wally was given him a full-on Dick-look. Concern flooded Wally, and he looked just as small as he put one foot behind him, eyes closing with defeat. "I should have protected you. Not…let you get kidnapped when we were in a freaking _ice cream_ parlor, and not have freaked out when it came to Zoom."

"Hey." Dick had his hands on the redhead's face before he could even think. On mere impulse, and he looked to Wally's eyes, frown dipping his lips. "Don't think about it like that."

"But—"

"I snapped at you, too, after you saved me." He hadn't exactly been in the best of moods. But if this was going to work and he was going to keep his emotions in check, Dick couldn't snap at Wally every time he went out on the battlefield. His fingers unnoticeably clenched around Wally's jaw line and his shoulders hunched. "I don't think you're incompetent."

If anything, they were the best friends _ever_. And the closer Wally got to Dick, the worse their friendship would be severed if he ever found out who Robin really was.

"I—uh." Wally's eyes widened and that familiar goofy smile spread across his lips, goofy and dorky as ever. "You promise?"

Dick forced a smirk. "Promise."

"So." _Zip_! KF2 appeared by Wally's side, eyes making contact with Dick's. He arched an eyebrow. "You two dating or what?"

"Of course not!" Wally's voice breached high octaves and he pulled away from Dick's shoulders, hands hidden behind his back. Red stained his cheeks and—oh, _god_, he could seriously not have been more obvious.

Dick resisted the urge to roll his eyes, instead looking back to the bright, vibrant blue eyes that seemed more relaxed than Wally's. They acted about the same from what he gathered, and it was the minor details that bothered him. KF2 seemed surer of himself; had more faith in his abilities whereas Wally was so…flippant. And still got a bloody nose whenever he tried to vibrate through walls. Or…gave _civilians_ bloody noses whenever vibrating them out of a holding cell.

Kid Flash smiled, eyebrow arched. "Too bad. You're cute together."

"Well—uh—erm." Wally scratched his head, _squirming._

Dick took pity on him, turning his full body around until he and Kid Flash stood directly next to each other. "How old are you?"

"Fourteen." Kid Flash grinned, pulling an arm around the younger teen's shoulder before turning their directions, where Cyborg proceeded with looking at some specs and yelling at Beast Boy, who insisted on playing videogames, Raven, who'd gone off by the window apparently in effort to meditate, then to Starfire, who was getting giddy over that…squishy living purple squirmy thing on a china plate. "And Rob's sixteen, if you're wondering. BB's fourteen, Cyborg's like, eighteen, I think, and Raven's…well, I dunno. But she's cute."

"Oh, definitely." Wally grinned. Dick frowned. "So, uh…what about Superboy? Aqualad? Red Arrow? Or…does he go by Speedy?"

"Superman's taking on sidekicks now?" Kid Flash zipped to Wally's side, leaving Dick without warmth as he crossed his arms and brightly snickered.

Wally shook his head. "No…not really. It's kinda…complicated."

"Well…Aqualad's back at Titans East. I supposed I could show you where he is." Kid Flash tapped his chin, amused. "So's Speedy. Man, he goes by _Red Arrow_? Go figure. Sounds way more badass though, so I won't complain."

"You two close?"

"_Oh, _my dear duplicate. _All_ redheads are close."

Dick took the chance to slip away. He dodged a wiimote that was promptly thrown his way, entered the kitchen, and steadily looked to Starfire as she smiled. She bowed her head. "Hello."

"Hey." He awkwardly pulled himself on the counter and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. The only time Robin smiled—the _one_ instant he smiled was when she had touched his shoulder. Somehow after Kid Flash had gotten here, Robin seemed to stiffen more. What kind of reaction was that? "I'm…really sorry about the way Kid Flash was acting. He can be kind of…" Bitter. Grudge-holdy.

Starfire frowned. Obviously like Miss M, she wasn't against laying her emotions out on a platter and letting everyone else feel it. She was so _sugary_ that Dick wouldn't have doubted he was getting a cavity from just looking at her. Head held high, she crossed her arms and harrumphed. "It is alright. You are not the one at fault, Richard. It is Kid Flash who must apologize to Robin. He has been nothing but _rude_ since getting here!"

"He doesn't mean it." _Yes he does._ Dick bit back the bitter feeling behind his throat, sitting higher into a perch as Starfire reanimated. He looked away and back to Kid Flash-squared. Wally, though mildly turbed, looked somewhat happier. Especially after the peptalk. "He...we got into a fight before ending up here."

"What does your getting into a fight with Kid Flash have anything to do with our Robin?"

Wait. _What? _"You mean, you don't know Robin's secret-ID?" Dick restrained himself from standing up from where he was at in favor of looking at her with confusion. "Aren't you two an item?"

Even with orange skin, the fervent blush could still be seen as it fluttered across Starfire's cheeks. She nervously messed with her hair, glowing a specific shade of red that almost reminded Dick of _Wally_, and—god, if they ever encountered her back on their Earth, Dick could only hope she wasn't going to suck him in. She was just too sugary-sweet for him. "It is…I do not find it a necessity, nor problematic that I do not know his identity. To me, he will always be Robin."

"But that's not fair to—" Him. Her. _Him._ Dick had been suffering for nearly two months now trying to keep his secret-ID, and…in doing so, he was getting to know every aspect of Wally. Actually, he thought slowly, he couldn't imagine looking at Wally now without a newfound respect for his decisions.

For how he could flip from being ridiculous and dorky, then down-to-earth and actually helping him with his math homework. And physics. _Especially_ physics. Robin must have been ridiculously Robin all the time for this universe's Dick Grayson not to matter (then again, Dick had been referring to Robin as _Robin_ this entire freaking time in his head), to have a girlfriend _only_ when he was being a superhero. If Robin was sixteen, didn't he go to school? _Anything_?

Wally knew him inside and out. He had to hide things, _yeah,_ but he still acted like himself. The other Robin was wary with his team, wary with _him_, and wasn't even on good terms with Batman.

And for a brief moment, Dick kinda just wanted to pull Wally aside, take the gel out of his hair, and point to the nonexistent R on his chest.

"I admire him because he is earnest and got us to form this team." Starfire smiled gently, looking right at Dick, but…apparently not looking directly at him. Her expression was love struck and so _delicate_, that it struck him she was staring directly at her boyfriend's secret identity and hadn't the slightest clue. "He showed me my way, and for that I am grateful."

Oddly enough that sounded like Conner's devotion to _them._ Dick swallowed the comment. "But…"

"But nothing!" she insisted, hands grasping his before he had the chance to blink. She smiled prettily. "But…you and your Kid Flash. You are in love, are you not?"

Dick blinked. His heart skipped a beat as he looked back to her, then to the KFs. "I…"

His throat went dry. Somehow simply saying _no_ seemed like it would have been a lie, but saying _yes_ would have been too forward. Really, they should have just been heroes and that was it. No one had blatantly asked him that, since, like…_ever._ Batman confronted him about what his thoughts were about Wally, but…

Two months ago, looking at Wally he would have never noticed the way those eyes specked with green, or how that smile gave him goosebumps. Wally was his best friend and his _bro_, for crying out loud. And meant a lot to him. Loving definitely was not the conclusion here.

But…_damn_. Dick bit his lip. It wasn't like it couldn't be a plausible possibility.

**xxxxx**

Dick had been pretty fidgety since they got here. Wally figured it might have been the prep-boy in the little guy, but there were just some things that didn't add up. He was probably still mad from when Wally had brought up the Flying Graysons.

Which he totally shouldn't have done.

Ever since this mission started, Wally had _tried_ to keep his cool, but it'd been fairly hard with the way Kaldur had been pestering him 24/7, and then Artemis kept shoving it in his face that if he wanted Rob's friendship back (er, _their_ Rob; not the freaky Robin that had no clue how to smile), then he needed to be the bigger man and talk to him. Megan had been concerned, and although he couldn't ever resist her beautiful face, it wasn't the easiest situation to explain. Like, at all.

"You gonna be okay over here?" he asked quietly.

"You don't have to tuck me in."

"Yeah? Well, you don't have to wear hair gel to sleep." A small smile twisted across Wally's face and he leaned back, looking with amusement as Dick crossed his arms over his chest. It was the closest thing that came to fitting him was a pair of Beast Boy's footsie pajamas. It would have made him look downright _adorable_, but Kid Flash, the _other _Wally pitied him and brought over some PJs with little red 'R's' littering the front.

"I get massive cowlicks, I'm a prep school boy, and I doubt they have the hair gel I like."

"You are so _gay_, Richard."

"Yeah? Well—" A small smile spread across the younger teen's face, and he sat up, wrinkling all of the speedster's hard work from tucking him. Suddenly, the withered, tired look had come across his face again. It'd been the same one promptly after the team had rescued him from the clutches of Joker and Professor Zoom, but…with more restraint. Ever since…

Wally smiled gently. "Guess this means our date's over, huh?"

"I…uh…" Petite, creamy ears turned bright pink and Dick fidgeted in his seat. Alexa crossed Wally's mind. Dick had been insistent, when it came to _Wally_ that he had a crush on Alexa, but…he'd also been the one who pointed out they were pretty much on a date with one another. "Yeah. I erm. Guess it is."

"You're cute," Wally grinned.

"You're…in a better now." Dick sat up now, duvet sliding down his hips. He leaned forward, eyes flickering with hesitant concern. That was how Dick worked though. It was like he _remembered_ he needed to be timid, would then try, then forget all over again. If it was a way for him to pick up girls, it totally worked. And it was pretty cute. "Why?"

"You mean, why am I not as frustrated as I was this afternoon?"

Dick nodded.

"I…" Quite honestly, Wally couldn't figure it out for himself. He smiled softly and shrugged. Kid Flash had been exchanging speed methods with him. The rest of the Teen Titans without a doubt wanted to rip his head off, starting with Starfire. Her eyes glowed every time he tried checking her out. Cyborg and Beast Boy were more subtle about it, but without a doubt every one of them held Robin to a high standard. "I appreciate Rob a little more."

Blue eyes blinked in surprise. "You…do?"

"Oh, don't get me wrong. I'm still mad as hell, but…" Wally crossed his arms. What was he going to say? He was enjoying the relief that came with the fact they saved Dick. Not only that, but he was actually able to vibrate the other teen's hands through cuffs _without_ making him explode, was spending a nearly-obscene amount of time with Dick, and…Zoom didn't kill him; just sent them to a different dimension-universe thingie. Zoom didn't _kill_ him. He wasn't dead, and Zoom hadn't…

"Kid?" Dick's voice brought him out of his ministrations. A frown rested across the younger teen's face. "What's up?"

"It's…er. Nothing. I, um. Don't worry about it." The redhead twitched before taking a step back, forbidding Dick's hand to reach out and touch him, then zipped toward the door. "Night, Richard."

"Right." The frown deepened across the other teen's face, blue eyes flickering in that weird, hotdorable way Wally liked so much. "Night Kid Flash."

Wally shut the door behind him, sigh escaping his lips as he leaned against it. A yellow blur zipped through the hall before promptly stopping by his side. It was pretty cool, actually. Only mildly, weirdly creepy. If not for Boy _Why-Don't-You-Get-That-Batarang-Out-of-Your-Ass,_ he would have stayed to learn more about…erm. Himself.

"He asleep?" Kid Flash smiled.

"Yup. Hey, uh…" Well, this was weird. Neither of them had changed out of their uniforms, and other than the night cap BB had worn to bed, it looked as though no one wandered the halls out of uniform. For once, Wally actually felt naked _without_ his civvies. He bit his lip. "You mind if I visit Rob?"

It was pretty stupid having to ask himself permission to see his best friend—er, parallel-world-warped version of his best friend—but it was still…needed. The other Kid Flash was no doubt younger, probably just _having_ turned fourteen, but Wally hadn't bothered to ask. The others were pretty relaxed when it came to this Kid Flash. Still, how this other Kid Flash could put up with him, Wally had to give props for.

Kid Flash waved his hand dismissively. "Go for it. Maybe I'll do the same."

"Good luck getting through the dimensional barrier." Wally cracked a grin before walking down the hall and across a corridor. Beast Boy had given them a tour, but considering they weren't supposed to stay more than a couple days…he shrugged. Besides, he could always run through the halls to find everyone.

One room in particular, Beast Boy had only pointed to and said it belonged to Robin. He then ushered them off before Wally could make a snarky comment (he _swore_ he wasn't planning to, _really_.) Green eyes examined the door carefully, hands at his side. Unlike all the other doors there was a safe-lock next to the door. High-tech, but…a little ghetto, if they were going by Robby's standards.

Wally entered the first code that crossed his mind. _**Access Granted. **_

The door swished in open, meeting Wally's form with brooding darkness and intimidating…darkness. When Dick and he got home, he was _so_ buying Robin a shirt with a smiley face on it. Sheesh. The room was as big as the ones the team had showed them. Newspaper clippings and evidence was plastered across the dark walls, not a window to be seen. Creepy. There was only one light on: near the desk with a laptop as red as Rob's uniform. Both of 'em.

But…anticlimactically, Robin wasn't there.

Wally twitched, eyes daring from side-to-side in the room as he finally found the light switch—which didn't help the gory feel that made the room look like it was out of a horror movie. Wally shivered, running a hand through his hair before zipping out the room and trying the roof.

_Success._ And god, super creepy. They may have acted nothing alike, but this world's Robin was definitely sitting in a perch at the ledge of the roof. Wally scratched his head. "Um…Hi."

"You knew the password to my room." Okay, similarity number two: Robins liked to skip straight to the point. There were…obvious similarities between both Robins, he guessed. Rob back in his world had the same here, somewhat the same uniform, and…stuff.

"It's…" Wally's voice softened and he permitted himself to sit on the ledge next to his best friend's duplicate. For a moment, Robin hesitated, but like Wally, he changed into a sitting position. "It was pretty easy. Your mother's birthday. Right?"

"You knew that?" This Rob's voice was a lot deeper than the Rob's at home, too. Funny, since Dick was still trying to fight off puberty.

An awkward grin fluttered across the redhead's face and he shrugged. "We celebrated it."

"He took you to the graveyard?"

"Well…no." Wally paused, then thoughtfully added, "But…after that, I knew for sure that I wasn't going to pester you—er, _him_, about telling me his secret-ID." This time, the stun clearly wrote itself across Robin's face as he turned around, eyebrows raising slightly under opaque lenses.

Wally shrugged. It'd…been when Wally was fourteen and Rob twelve. The pre-teen had just gotten off from a mission with Batman, acting odd, and Wally insisted on taking him out for ice cream. Comfort food was always good when people were moping, and they'd somehow gotten into a Rocky Road Ice Cream fight. Rob laughed fully after that, covered in chocolate ice cream and marshmallows after they were kicked out of the parlor, and…told him. Soft and small like a little kid. Robin missed his mom.

"Being your best friend comes with a lot of baggage back in my world. But I haven't regretted it." Wally leaned forward so he could get a better look at the other teen's face. The moon illuminated above the harbor, reflection large and covering most of the boats far from the island, and not a sound could be heard other than the waters hitting the shores. "You and I…er, _he_ and I…we get into petty fights a lot. But…we're cool."

"You're not fretting over the fact you don't know mine or his secret identity." Robin stared at him pointedly, guard resurfacing.

Wally fidgeted. That…had been a low blow, actually, when he used it back at Flo's Dining. It wasn't a frustrating secret to him, honestly. He knew more about Rob than most people did, and he was pretty sure Batman was alright with him. "Well…there was this instance where I almost exploded about a month or so back."

Robin nearly fell off the Tower. He turned around, character broken as he comically animated. "You almost _what_?"

"I almost exploded." A small smile graced the redhead's lips, grim and reminiscent as he clutched the arm that'd been broken. "Nearly lost my arm and was in a coma for three days. But…you kept surveillance on me with this camera in this wad of gum, and even though it was gross, it was so _you._"

It was enough to calm Robin down, apparently. His stature loosened slightly and Wally almost missed the way Robin leaned ever-so slightly toward him. Just like _his_ Rob.

"We've had this discussion before," Wally continued. Maybe…he'd apologize to Robin once they got home. At least for the last comment. "And I told you that I wouldn't pressure you on this whole secret-ID thing, man. Er, him. Same difference."

"And you don't care," Robin clarified.

Wally shook his head. "Oh, I _care_. But what's the point in pummeling it out of you guys? Besides," he smiled. "This way, I'll know you absolutely trust me. Er, the other you. Not this you."

For a long time, there was silence. Green eyes turned in a different direction, taking in the scenery from his point of view and…being okay with it. It wasn't anywhere near the beauty as you could get at Mount Justice, but…he could see why the Teen Titans were insistent to settle on an island in the middle of a town called Jump City. Nice view.

"You're just like him," Wally heard. He turned his head in curiosity and blinked in Robin's direction. All of a sudden it was just like he was staring at _his_ Rob, sitting alongside his best friend and just…talking. Maybe about videogames, maybe about facts of an undead life, but… mostly talking. His heart skipped a beat, and he leaned into the surprising warmth without noticing it. "How did you know you'd find me on the roof?"

"Dude, you're Robin." He touched Boy Wonder's shoulder with his arm, slowly blinking, and turned his head fully until his gaze met with the other Robin. "We met _on_ a roof. I gave you your first bro-hug like, ever. You can call it a hunch."

It apparently was another crack in Robin's shield because this time his lips curled into a gentle smile; bittersweet or not as he loosened. He turned Wally's way, moon casting a luminescent shadow along his face and highlighting…everything. Robin's ears glowed bright red; soft and airbrushed under the mesh of ebony hair.

Just like Wally's Robin.

"Rob…I…" he swallowed softly, mesmerized by the contour of his best friend's face under the black mask, and the way he _knew_ Robin was staring back; waiting, and calculative. "You really shouldn't…I mean…I'm pretty close to doing something stupid that I promised I wouldn't back at home, but…"

"Shut up." Rob's fingers touched his own; nearly intangible from Kevlar and spandex, but with the usual tingle Wally _always_ got. He tilted forward, creamy nose prickling against a freckled one. "And just do it."

So on impulse, Kid Flash kissed Robin and Robin kissed back.

**Author's Note: **

I REGRET NOTHING.

_Preview: _"_You know that I'm Robin."_


	15. X

**X. **

He couldn't get to sleep.

Scratch that.

Not being able to sleep, Dick had turned on the TV. Being fashioned as a giant 'T,' and all, it sort of reminded him of a giant hotel. The specs on this place weren't as impressive as the Batcave, but from the little glimpses he got from his jerkwad of a counterpart, Dick assumed Robin was more detective-y than techy.

Dick didn't even _bother_ trying to fall asleep. Fear danced in his mind of what would happen if he did. For many reasons. Somewhere between one second and the next, the alert (the complex system he somehow weaseled Cyborg into explaining) could have gone off; sending the red light, loud noise, and obligate Wally to play superhero with the rest of the team. Beast Boy and Kid Flash seemed to have lightened up by the end of the afternoon—the former, because Wally disturbingly knew a great ordeal of tofu (_shiver_) recipes, and the latter because evidently, they were as much alike as they were different.

Which was _exactly _how he knew those footsteps without turning his head. They were slightly different—left foot trekking before right—but KF2 padded across the ground in the same manner Wally's did. He pounded the ground with heavy steps despite being so small and plopped onto the bed right next to Dick without question.

"Don't tell me you actually like this show." Kid Flash grinned, nudging Dick gently in the knee.

Really, Kid Flashes were the last thing Dick wanted to see right now. Especially when he was trying to figure out how far his…_opinion_ of Wally currently extended. He wished they would entend. And he smiled a little too himself; a little less restless than before. Ex- and En- were science terms. Wally would have been proud. "I don't."

"Alright then." Vivacious blue eyes jittered happily before Kid Flash turned off the TV, turned the lamp on, and sat directly in front of Dick. "So."

Pitying him just a little, Dick decided to humor the speedster, wry look included. "So?"

"Please don't tell me you gel your hair back when you're Robin, too?" _What_?

Dick blinked. So this Kid Flash actually knew his secret-ID. And was totally staring at him, like he just said something witty about the weather. He sat up from his perch, staring at this Kid Flash in surprise before slowly shaking his head. "No, I…" he swallowed, and _another_ thought entered his mind. Why did this world's Kid Flash know Robin was Dick Grayson, but Robin's own _girlfriend_ didn't? "I don't."

Another reaction—Kid Flash's effervescent blue eyes actually glittered, and he ripped a red glove off before promptly ruffling through Dick's gel-implanted hair.

The _same_ hairdo he used that deceived his entire team—and the one that currently kept Wally from ripping his head off. "Hey—wait—KF—"

"Don't look like you just got laid, either. I ever tell you that?" Kid Flash grinned, crawling closer to Dick until their noses were touching. "Well, maybe not _you_, but the other you. I think it's permanently stuck that way; from the way he swings off rooftops and stuff."

"I—" Dick bit back a smile and ignored the way his chest was pounding. "Yeah. So I've gathered."

"It sucks."

Dick snorted. "He's really not that whelmed."

"'Whelmed'? Like, 'underwhelmed' and 'overwhelmed'? Dude, you're so cool." Which brought Dick entirely off guard when this Wally started to giggle to the point he snorted. Red hair flopped in a flurry, and immediately Kid Flash's bare hand pushed it behind him and he stared at the other teen with eager eyes.

This was _exactly_ what Kid Flash acted like when Dick had first met him. Awkward, rambling, _touchy_, forward, and so heavily disturbing just like the Flash that Dick almost dreaded meeting a speedster's sidekick.

He swallowed uncertainly, heart slowing into steady, happy beats as he rocked between his feet and narrowed his gaze. "You know that I'm Robin."

Bright blue eyes glowed…just like _Wally's_, and a casual smile graced Kid Flash's lips. "Yup."

"And…"

"And _your_ Wally doesn't know that you're Robin." Kid Flash sighed blissfully, like accepting that the situation was problematic, but also like, '_Don't worry, we're gonna get through this, buddy of mine.' _He sat cross-legged, hands cupping his ankles, and looked to Dick with sympathetic amusement. "Funny. I never went through this trouble when Robin finally told me who he was."

"He…told it…voluntarily?"

"It's complicated." There was a bit more flippancy in the way this Kid Flash spoke, but evidently he didn't mean it with a grudge. Protectively, maybe, as he narrowed his eyes in Dick's direction. "But…yeah. Don't pester him about it, alright? Actually, this is the first time in months that we've spoken to one another."

"So you guys aren't best friends in this universe?" Dick couldn't imagine that either. He'd always figured that if he was able to tell someone about his secret-ID, then it'd automatically be _Wally_, but that was because they were bros. Or…something. He wasn't sure anymore. How could Robin in this universe tell Kid Flash his secret identity, and not even bother with his own _girlfriend_?

"We…were." Suddenly it was that deflated look that Wally carried once in a while. Kid Flash brought one leg to his chest and rested his chin on a knee. Blue eyes were no longer upcast, and KF2 jerkily shrugged. "I…we met when I was like, eleven, and he was thirteen. Gave the guy his first hug like, _ever_, and we were good pals. Back before he was the leader and used to smile more. And no—" Kid Flash offered a wry smirk. "I'm not telling you why he doesn't smile anymore. But…then I turned twelve, and he fourteen, and…" Kid Flash bit the inside of his lip. "Batman and he don't particularly see eye-to-eye with one another. They've gotten too similar, and that's just…_way_ too much Bat under one cave. You know what I mean?"

Sometimes. Dick opted to shake his head. He had to keep in mind: this universe's Robin really wasn't much like him.

"He ventured out a bit," Kid Flash continued, eyes never leaving Dick's before slowly fluttering close. "And…they still talk, on some days, I think. After he walked out on the Bat, he…tried to get me to do the same thing, but I was _twelve_, and…didn't feel like Flash was suffocating me the way Robin felt Batman was. And my partnership with him was still relatively new, you know?"

Dick's eyebrows furrowed calculatingly. For a long while Kid Flash said nothing, but…being who he was, Dick was pretty sure he knew how the story ended with this one.

Wally wasn't the possessive type, but he would've been lying to himself if he didn't strive for at least some shred of stability. Kid Flash probably thought about his own aunt and uncle, and although tricky, Dick could see this world's Robin cutting ties with Batman and Alfie far easier than this world's KF cutting off ties with the Flash. And…Wally getting _hurt_ was enough, according to Batman, to send Dick over the edge and make stupid mistakes.

If…Wally didn't trust him wholeheartedly, Dick would probably have ended up like Robin, too.

Not another word had been uttered, but the very thought made the dark-haired teen sick to his stomach. A foul taste lingered in his mouth, and he desperately needed something to cleanse it; to take the thought out of his head. And…

The mattress didn't squeak, as Dick crawled over to Wally. It was silent and fancy-schmancy like the rest of the Tower, and he looked to that freckled face, studied the eyelids that covered troubled, livid blue eyes, and kissed Kid Flash.

They were smaller than Wally's lips. Much smaller, much more petite despite the fact Kid Flash was only a year younger than Wally's.

Dick had enough kissing experience thanks to undercover missions, but making out with the enemy was nowhere near a chaste kiss to your best friend's lips. Kid Flash kissed him back, though hesitant at first, and it was _way_ different from when Wally had kissed Richard Grayson because of 'scene rehearsal.'

Totally different.

Half, because that other kiss had been sprung on him. The other because—

"Thanks." Kid Flash gently batted away and Dick's ears dusted pink. "That was…wow. But…"

"I'm…not _your_ Rob," Dick finished for him. His chest heaved, arms crossed over it, and he nudged the other teen gently, struggling for a smile. "Just like you aren't _my_ Kid Flash."

"Pretty much. You still wanna cuddle?"

"Sure." Why not?

**xxxxx**

It was Beast Boy that found them snuggling up to one another. Dick had an arm thoroughly wrapped over Kid Flash's torso, legs tangled in odd knots even an acrobat like him found ridiculous, and his face was buried haplessly in the crook of the speedster's neck.

First off, Kid Flash was a loud sleeper, like Wally. Dick must have involuntarily kicked him in the night, ending in a series of grunts and drool, and his hair in odd ends the way Wally did by burying his face eagerly against Dick's. Second, the door had creaked open, and the unmistakable, pubescent squeak met Dick's ear, causing him to groaningly, stiffly turn his neck and meet eyes with the green teen, who immediately morphed into a turtle and hid in its shell.

"Kid Flash," Dick whispered harshly, shaking the body right next to him. "KF, wake up!"

He kicked the speedster in the leg, and immediately Kid Flash twitched, untangling painfully out of Dick's grasp before rolling out of bed and landing with a thud. A loud, resonating yawn escaped the teenager's lips and he stared at the turtle at the foot of their bed. Smacking his tongue, he picked up the turtle and grinned. "Hey, BB. What's up?"

Dick slid out of bed, aching uncomfortably from the awkward position, and twisted his back with a grimace. "Dude, you are a _screwed up_ cuddler, you know that?"

"You're not herbs and peaches yourself, hot stuff." Kid Flash grinned, turtle between his hip and arm like a football, then snickered. "Dude, look at your _hair._"

Look at it? Dick could _feel_ it. He rolled his eyes, predominantly irritated by the other Kid Flash, but also…somewhat amused. He picked up the turtle from KF's hands before any harm could be done and pushed the hair out of his face. "What is it?"

Embarrassingly enough, Beast Boy trembled and shook before turning back into a human and jumping out of Dick's arms. He fidgeted and tugged at the neck of his jumpsuit. "Er, Cyborg says he's got good news and bad news."

"Oh. Cool." Kid Flash beamed lightly and proceeded with pulling his gloves and boots back on.

And…Beast Boy was gaping and gawking. Dick smoothed the wrinkles out of his shirt and waited for 20 Questions. "Yeah?"

Beast Boy's mind evidently discombobulated as he waved his arms around, wide-eyed. "You! And him! And—and cuddling! Dude what the _heck_?"

It was for the best Dick didn't mention he was also Robin, their fearless, cynical leader. He bit back an amused grin, forcing the bashful blush to surface across his nose the way he always did for Wally. "You're the youngest, right?"

KF2 apparently finished redressing. He stood by Dick as their third teenager began to babble incoherently.

"I—uh—ger—yeah." Beast Boy went limp, going as far as turning into a jellyfish before groaning.

Finally the uniform, and…the green skin made sense. They'd never teamed up, but the name crossed Dick's mind and he almost gawked. "You're Changeling, from the Doom Patrol. Dude, you're with the _Titans_?"

"Dude," Kid Flash reiterated, grinning, "You went by Changeling?"

"What the—_dude_, I don't even wear the mask anymore!" You didn't need a mask to hide a _green-faced_ teenager. But apparently it was enough to offend him. Beast Boy glowered, nose held high, just like Robin. He crossed his arms and scowled, but didn't look nearly as intimidating. _Ouch._ Turning his head, they received the cold shoulder and clearly it was another strike against Wally and Dick's good name. "Let's go."

Dick frowned, eyes darting to Kid Flash's side as they stepped out the door, a little ways after Beast Boy. "What'd I say?"

Kid Flash shrugged, oddly smiling. "Some people are a little touchy about past partnerships."

"What about you and the Flash?" Somehow being part of the Teen Titans just sounded like clipping every single tie you ever had.

"The Flash is my _uncle._" A grin twisted across the speedster's lips and he snickered. "Kinda hard to clip ties with the best uncle ever, who's married to the best _aunt _ever."

"Point taken." Though, Dick faintly wondered if KF2's still-good relationship with his uncle poured salt on Robin's wounds. They didn't exactly talk or seem close far past their profession. Other than the, 'Let's not talk about Batman' thing.

To say that Robin looked unbelievably _pissed _when they reached the Main-Ops room would have been a horrible understatement. Somewhere along the way, Kid Flash's hand found Dick's, and they stood at the entrance with odd, matching grins.

A sulking Beast Boy had plopped onto the furthest end of the couch next to Raven, and just as contently, Starfire had a hand tangled with a disgruntled Boy Wonder's. Wally was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey, I couldn't find—oh, there he is." Scratch that. Wally zipped in the room, as good-natured and bouncy as always, and took a look at them.

Which was when Dick pathetically tried to fix the odd-looking cowlicks in his hair that stuck in awkward angles.

Cyborg peeked out of his spot near the computer and flashed a toothy grin. "Hey, Kid! Help me out here?"

"Sure." Kid Flash's lips leaned into a grin, and in a yellow blur he zipped far on the other side of the room.

And Wally was still staring at Dick. Crap. "So does this mean you like me?"

Uh. What?

Wally's lips curled into a fervent grin, eyes lightening as bright as they could like when he discovered Oreo pies, or when they looked at his specs back at the cave and found out he'd gotten faster. He was _vibrating, _too; eyes looking at the younger teen as full as the world and brimming with a happiness he hadn't shown in days.

"Well. It's." There wasn't a need to fake the way Dick's voice squeaked out of his voice range. He scratched his arm, feeling his ears burn with red luster and resisted the urge to squirm like a kid. Looking Wally in the eye had suddenly become really hard too. "It's, um. A possibility, yes." _Why _did he just say that?

"Cool." Then without warning, Wally picked him up and set Dick on the couch. The redhead zoomed to his counterpart, and instead of flipping out _again_, they grinned at one another. Jeez, this universe was making Wally act so _disturbing._ _Super_ heavy on the dis.

"Thanks to our super awesome tech and _my_ intellect," Cyborg boasted, chest jutted out, "we figured out which universe you guys came from." The window flickered out of view and was replaced with a video screen. Fancy tech. Still nowhere near as impressive as the mountain or Batcave, though.

Twenty different models of the Earth popped onto the screen, each one similar in every way. Wally zipped up to it and tapped the glass. "Um, what's the big deal with these?"

"They're different variations that are out there in reality. Which is relative. You guys come from Earth-16." Cyborg messed with something on the computer and zoomed up to the sixteenth displayed model of the Earth before smiling proudly at his accomplishment. "The good news is that I could have a cross-dimension machine running for you in a couple of days." He clicked something again and blueprints for said machine popped across the wall; mechanics and all. "The bad news is, even with the machine made, we still need to find a power source to generate enough energy to get it up and running."

"A _few days_?" Wally repeated. He ruffled his hair, eyes widening with horror. "Dude, I _cannot_ miss that much school. And—_Richard's_ the Golden Boy of Gotham! What are people gonna say if I don't have him back?"

Bruce Wayne would skillfully say that Richard Grayson was excused from school due to a sudden business trip, and the Als would have to use Dick's understudy. No biggie. He crossed his arms and gently shook his head. "No, it's fine."

"No, it's _not_!" Wally cursed under his breath, loud groan escaping his lips.

Starfire frowned, hand across her chest as she stepped forward, terse expression coming to her features. "We will do the best we can, Kid Flash. Please understand that…there are _some of us_ who are _eager_ to have you return to your earth and…never bother us, ever again!"

Ouch. Miss Sugar Queen knew how to spread _tooth decay._ Dick bit on a snigger, eyes darting between either redhead. Wally's eyes widened, clearly taken aback by the treatment, but after all, he was still stupid enough to flirt with Miss M when she obviously wasn't interested.

"Did I do something to piss you—never mind." At a speedster's pace, green eyes darted from Starfire, then to Robin, and…turned bright pink, instinctively rubbing his nose.

Dick blinked. He held back another question, instead getting up to reassure the redhead. Batman 101: When the circumstances aren't in your favor and you _absolutely know it_, trust your teammates (or mentors) to make a believable cover story for you. There wasn't a doubt in his mind the Flash and Batman were covering it. "Kid, really…it's…it's no big deal."

"No, we're—" Wally sputtered, hands held in an awkward angle. He sighed with defeat, nervously tapping his foot on the ground and twitching. "It's a test."

"Test?" Dick frowned. Bruce hadn't told him anything about a test.

"Back a couple months ago, Red Tornado said that we would be tested by Batman as a team. That was before 'Missy—Artemis was on the team and before we had the dynamic." He twitched again. "And…so after the whole incident with the Joker back at Gotham, I begged him to let this be our test."

_What_? Dick bit back his panic. "But Robin's not on the team."

"Apparently he's on his own solo mission." Wally crossed his arms and bit at the end of his glove, panic wide set in his eyes before he turned back to the Titans. "And if we don't get _back_, then he might disband the team over it—"

"You're _kidding_ me!" Dick raised his voice, then choked on his own frustration. Turning his head, he stood parallel to the other Robin and the rest of the team, hand wound tightly over Wally's wrist before seething. "Change of plan. _Batman_ probably already has one because of the lea—"

"We're _not_ getting Batman involved."

"Robin…" Starfire's fingers flew to her face, worry creasing her forehead as she looked to her boyfriend, concern imminent.

Bruce _tricked him_. And Dick _fell for it._ He bit back a growl, hands covering his chest as he mimicked the other Robin's stature. The room had gone quiet, not a word to be said as the Titans looked upon them, unsure what to make of the situation. Calculations summoned to his mind, Dick only gritted his teeth. The _team's_ test was to guard Gotham's Golden Boy—the second most popular celebrity only to Bruce Wayne. _Batman's_ test for _him_ was to see how far he would go for this disguise.

Dick was going to kill him. But probably murder this world's Robin, first.

An orange hand grazed across Robin's jaw line, Starfire's eyes gleaming with the utmost concern as she hovered his way to look him directly in the eye. "Perhaps, given the circumstances with…the chance that there is the dismantling of their team, we should—"

"No." And Robin wouldn't look her in the eye, opaque lenses or not.

Dick wanted to punch him in the face and shove a _birdarang_ down his throat. "Look, _Rob_—"

Two yellow blurs appeared by Dick, the shorter on his left and tallest on his right.

Wally had changed their positions, hand firmly wrapped around Dick and eyes flashing with concern. "Whoa there, Golden Boy. Unless you've got a utility belt hidden under your _Boy Wonder PJs_, it's best you don't threaten the guy with the explosives."

Dick bit the inside of his mouth. At this point he had no doubt he'd broken forty of Batman's rules, but with the news that their Kid _Idiot_ asked this to be a test, he cared very little whether or not he failed. "Fine."

Kid Flash's face surfaced with unease, hesitant smile spreading across his lips before he swiped a remote from Cyborg and fiddled with their screen. "Xenothium."

"Xenothium?" Wally blinked and zipped back up to the screen, hands forgotten.

"It's a high-power energy source," Kid Flash continued, running right next to his counterpart, "and although _rare,_ even just a small amount would at least let us send a message back to your universe and assure your teammates that you're fine."

"And that's just a small amount." Cyborg grinned giddily. "Good job, Kid. We get enough of this and we can send you guys home in no time!"

"_Score._" Wally flashed a grin of relief, sighing with less panic before giving KF2 and a well-deserved high five. "So how do we get it then, if we're not contacting Batman? STAR Labs? Justice League?"

The team had fallen silent again. Dick surveyed the room, finding that Robin still said nothing, and honeycomb concern still radiated through Starfire. Beast Boy and Raven had been quiet since the meeting began, and Kid Flash kept scratching his head and vibrating in and out of place. Dick held back a grimace as Cyborg started doing some other calculations with the computer and crossed his arms. Without a doubt, Wally and his presence in this world had sent everyone off kilter. And he really needed to apologize to Beast Boy.

"Professor Chang was the main provider for when Robin here went dark-side on us." Robin did _what_? Cyborg looked through his files without mentioning another word about Robin's deeds, then rubbed his chin. "But we destroyed the vial of xenothium ages ago."

"Maybe." For the first time since their arrival, Raven spoke up, leaving her spot on the couch and carefully removing the hood from her eyes. She gave one dull glance to all of them before carefully muttering, "But Red X is still at large, and he still uses it."

"And I know where to find him." Robin turned his head, batting his arm intending to make a pathway for himself, and took strides back toward the exit. He stopped dead center in front of Dick.

"Robin," Cyborg warned, voice dropping to an irritated octave. "Don't do what we all know you're gonna do."

"Please!" Starfire squeaked, rushing through the air and landing right before Robin, eyes wide as she clutched his hand. "Please, Robin, not again…"

"Thanks, guys." Then his voice softened, raspy and concentrated. But even behind his mask—even if Robin was closing his eyes _behind_ it, it still seemed far too worse. Robin shook her grip off and Dick felt his blood run cold as that domino mask looked in his direction. "But he's my guy. I don't want anyone getting hurt because of me."

"_Du-ude_, you already are." Beast Boy stood up from the couch, just like Raven, and threw his hands in the air with a frown. "What are we if we don't act as a team?"

Robin's lip twitched, and somehow Dick wouldn't have been surprised if he was the only one that noticed. The other Boy Wonder leered at him carefully, _scrutinizing_ him, before jerking his hand away from a heartbroken Starfire and disappearing out the door. "I don't want the team interfering with my mission."

_Woosh._

And with that he was gone.

But on technicality, Dick wasn't a part of the Teen Titans, and despite the coldness of his other self, Dick knew how to bait a person better than anyone. _Robin_, too.

He took it; hook, line, and sinker as he rushed out the door in search for his stubborn, jerk-off self, eyes darting everywhere as he ignored the collective gasps and Wally's adherent cry of protest. Running down the hall, Dick felt the anger swell in his stomach along with the bitter taste in the back of his mouth before he halted down the corner of a hallway and—

"What the hell is up with you?" Dick met Robin with a swift elbow to his jaw, which was easily dodged.

Robin flitted away, leaping three yards behind him before indiscreetly pulling out a chrome bow stick, just like the one Dick owned back at home. "Many things. Why?"

Dick knew better than to charge into a fight unarmed, when the enemy could kill him. But that didn't mean he had to _care_, and immediately delved into a fight with the other teen, scowl never leaving his face.

"You—" _Punch_. _"—_have a—" _Dodge. _"—team! You have a freaking _girlfriend_, and you—_we_—have a mentor that took us in when we were a little boy that watched his parents own murder!" He choked on his own words again, faltering and cartwheeling away before Robin could ram the bow in his torso. Dick remained in his perch, eyebrows knitting together as his chest throbbed. "A man that…I've got to keep reminding myself, is my _adopted_ father and _just_ my mentor."

Robin collapsed his bow stick into a little baton and packed it behind him, silent as ever.

The younger teen's lip twitched and his hands miserably fisted into the marbled floor. "Sometimes…I really, _really_ have to remind myself that…I'm Bruce's ward. That I'm adopted. And then…I just forget that boundary because he used to do things like tie my shoe or shoot hoops with me and play it off as _endurance_ training. Why…_why_ aren't you like that? What happened between the two of you?"

A green glove found its way in Dick's line of sight. Robin pulled him to his feet, this time as gentle as ever as he plucked the residue of gel from Dick's hair. Opaque-lenses looked at him, careful and unflickering before Robin gestured down the hall back toward his room. "C'mon."

That wasn't an answer. But disliking the option of going back to the Main Ops room and confronting the Titans-plus-Wally, Dick stubbornly obliged. "You knew I'd fall for the bait, didn't you?"

A pure smirk twisted across Robin's face, sheer and surprisingly earnest as he folded his arms under the cape. "I knew you knew it was bait and that you would try to talk some sense into me, yes."

"You're heartless."

"So I've heard." Robin entered the six-digit passcode that was eerily similar to Dick's own. The door swiftly raised up and shut behind them once they entered. Robin turned around, this time pulling out a small book from his desk and throwing it in Dick's direction. "Red X isn't your normal villain, Robin."

"We're going with 'Robin,' now?" Dick flipped through the book. Newspaper clippings, statistics, and photos ranging from low quality and high definition showed someone with their stature decked out in black with a pure white skull-mask. Not surprisingly, the red 'x' was most defining on his chest.

"Nothing less, if you're me." Robin busied himself by digging through drawers and shelves. For a moment, he fell silent; quiet at least a minute before continuing. "I created Red X to get closer to a villain and find out his secrets."

"Sounds great—"

"I lost my trust from the team for nearly three months." Robin turned his head, grimness tangling with the frown that twisted his lips. "What you're doing with Kid Flash, Dick….with your teammates. Don't go any further than that, understood? _Especially_ Wally."

The way the other Boy Wonder's shoulders tensed had caught Dick off guard. He stared at his counterpart, mouth having gone dry, and finally, _finally_ saw it. Kid Flash wasn't lying—Robin and he _were_ close. His eyes fell back to the small notebook and noticed the handwriting to the side: _Does one good deed make him a hero? _"And…Red X?"

Robin stood parallel to him far on the other side of the room. He watched Dick, and Dick watched back; stature and expression silently duplicated. "There was a gap the Titans didn't know about where I wasn't Robin. I took a break for only a week and Batman had taken on a new ward to train. For six months he'd gone through the endurance training that I did, and during the week I'd been gone, Batman tested him to see if he could be a worthy new sidekick. He died that week."

The notebook fell out of Dick's hands and landed on the floor in a pile of papers.

"Maybe not have died, as you can see from Red X's battle moves." Robin smiled bitterly, gauntlets tightening against bare skin. "But he was documented as Missing In Action. I went back to being Robin, and Batman and I haven't spoken since then."

"And…that's how you and he got into your big argument?" In this universe, Batman, _replaced_ Robin? Dick's jaw tightened and he opened his mouth to speak, but…he couldn't find his voice. Bruce deceived him first off with this test, and then to _Robin_, got another ward.

"I've got reason to believe that Red X is our brother." Pushing off the desk, Robin piled all his gatherings and threw them on the bed. There was a spare utility belt, fit with what Dick figured was a standard amount of bat—_birdarangs_, a bottle of liquid spirit gum, and undeniably a mask that was identical to Robin's own. Robin went silent again, eyebrows having buried themselves behind his mask, before he turned Dick's way. "And you're right. Bruce isn't a bad man."

"But—"

"He tried taking in another boy because otherwise he was sure that boy would end up in jail or a delinquent home in the next few years." Robin picked up his book of dropped things and hesitated once more. "No. That isn't how Batman and I stopped being partners. But since then I've had no doubt that he's got a good heart, Dick. We just became too similar, getting on each other's nerves and…"

"Desecrating the aster?" Small fingers touched the bottle of spirit gum, along with the domino mask that probably would have had no trouble sticking onto Dick's face.

Robin snorted. "Sure."

"I…" Dick's voice softened and he took the last of gel out of his hair, fingers burning with anticipation and self-doubt. "Robin, you pointed it out yourself that Wally doesn't know my secret-ID. I can't just put this mask on myself, waltz up to him, and say that I'm Robin." His heart tightened. "We're fighting. And it's bad for your teammates, too."

"Simple." Smirking was evidently as close to a smile he was ever going to get out of the other teen. Robin went toward his window and propped it open. "That's what you call, The Art of Sneaking Out."

**xxxxx**

"Guess you miss out on a lot when you're with your uncle for an extra year," Kid Flash mumbled. He tapped his foot, leaning ever-so slightly against the window as everyone dissolved into silence.

Wally looked to him, lips curled nervously as the rest of the team reanimated at _their_ Kid Flash's words; some confused, others blank. He himself, on the other hand, wasn't sure what to make of the situation. Robin was just so…_different_, but given the incident with Kobra back at home, it was easy to see where that need for independence came from. "Why do you still defend his actions, anyway?"

Blue eyes (_man_, that was weird) looked to him, far too wry and sardonic for the other redhead's taste before a simple smile curled against his lips. "Wouldn't you? With your own Rob?"

Well. _Yeah._ "I'd…do just about anything for Rob. He's my bro." Though, not particularly his brother; especially after totally making out with his best friend's other self.

"Well then." His other self smiled broadly, his hands at his hips. "There you go."

Which was when Wally found a green-lit fist quickly ramming into his jaw.

"Holy crap—!" Wally clutched his jaw, tumbling against the ground before bringing out a hand to support himself. Shaking the incoherency out of his system, the poor speedster felt for the ground and met eyes with form-fitting purple boots. "Star—"

"_You_!" Starfire roared, and she swung another green bolt at the speedster. Wally spun between his hands, dodging the next green bolt quickly before skidding toward the other side of the room.

"_Whoa_ there, sweetcheeks—!" Wally sped to his left, dodging a collection of starbolts and squeaked when one landed near his foot, causing him to trip over the couch and land face-first into a wall. So_-freaking-_much for acting like Megan.

"Ever since you have come, you have affected Robin's performance!" At a speed any Flash would have been proud of, Starfire collected Wally by the front of his uniform, eyes glowing and looking _very_ close to heat-beaming his head off. Starfire shook with fury. "He has not been the same because you have…have…hurt his feelings!"

"Uh…well, that's one way to put it." Wally's feet pitiably dangled above the floor. If this was how she acted because he flung a few _insults_, then it was definitely not a good idea to mention…theotherthing.

"Starfire—" A black tendril curled around the fuming girl's leg and promptly yanked her back. Starfire squeaked, dropping Wally suddenly to the ground, and was pulled to Raven's side. Ouch. The other girl—Little Miss Jewel-on-her-Forehead—quickly hid herself behind that cloak, expression patient and maybe a little bit amused. "Not right now."

"_Please_ not right now." A groan escaped Wally's lips and he waited as Kid Flash helped him to his feet. "God. Never thought getting beat up by a hot alien girl would have been so high on my, 'How I'm Gonna End Up Dying' list."

Starfire turned his way, eyes widening at the comment before her eyes started glowing again. A scowl, _violent _and _murderous_ appeared across her lips and she growled again. "But he is—doing the _wearing of my patience_! He is—!"

"Rude and on the witty side, just like Kid Flash. Yup." Cyborg only looked at them, amusement teeming in his tone. "But I think we've given a certain birdie enough time, right gang?"

"You bet." Beast Boy snickered, smirk spreading across his lips as he jumped off the couch and began stretching.

"Uh…" Wally, on the other hand, was _incredibly _lost. Wait, wait—"You guys let Robin get away on _purpose_?"

"Like that would stop him!" Beast Boy stuck his tongue out, boasting no doubt, before grinning. He jumped on the couch cushions, ignoring the irritated cries from his teammates before jutting his chest out and putting both hands on his hips. "So we follow. 'sides, Rob can't get rid of us."

"Er…"

"Alright, Titans! You heard BB; let's go!" Cyborg sniggered. He was first to take lead, Beast Boy hot on his trail. To Wally's surprised, Starfire finally simmered, eyes no longer glowing with that scary intent to kill before floating toward the door. She looked over her shoulder only once, harrumphing as Wally and she made eye contact, then disappeared.

Kid Flash elbowed Wally in the arm, a pathetic attempts get his attention. "So…you and Rob. You still close?"

Considering their long friendship, and how much they thought alike before the fight? _And_ how much the fight affected Wally and no doubt a wounded Robby? He struggled for a smile, finding it not as difficult as originally thought. "Yeah. The closest."

A matching grin looped across Kid Flash's face, holding the innocence Wally had back when he was that age. Blue eyes gleamed happily, glistening with relief and blithe before he took the first step of a sprint. "I'm gonna scour ahead."

Which left Wally with the one member of Teen Titans he'd yet to say a word to. Turning his head awkwardly to get her attention, Wally offered a goofy smile. Raven looked back, hood cloaking her face so that she was both guarded and easily read him. Scratch being like Artemis. She was kind of Supey-ish. "You kissed Robin on the roof."

Holy—"You _saw_ that?"

"No. It's written all over your face." A sardonic smirk spread across her lips, just a little too knowing and a bit smug. Probably from spending so much time with Cyborg and Beast Boy. "I'm an empath. I can read emotions."

Well. This was awkward. Red heated Wally's cheeks, brimming darker than even his hair.

Raven only continued. "Are you in love with him? Robin, I mean?"

_Wow_, cue embarrassing question. The last time he'd been asked _that_ was over a year ago, and it'd been Aunt Iris who was curious and suspicious. Wally'd been so ecstatic being friends with Rob, and after describing him vividly to Aunt Iris, she, with no shame, asked if he had a crush on him; thinking _Robin_ was a girl. Back then, he'd vehemently denied it. Was in denial. However, _now…_

"It's…," Wally mumbled, eyes darting anywhere but her face, "It's kind of complicated."

**xxxxx**

The utility belt, Dick figured out, was not extractable.

It had the same crooks and nannies as the one back at home, given a few little differences like how much it weighed against him (heavier; Dick blamed it on the birdarangs and Robin told him to shut up—which led to an argument that was entertaining for the first three minutes) and the spare uniform Robin lent him was far less protective than his own. Dick had ditched the green just a few months ago prior to July, when Alfred noticed he was going through a growth spurt, and following new measurements for a new uniform came upgrades to his holocomp. The mask was eerily a silicon-fit over his nose far worse than his own uniform, that he kept forgetting he was _wearing_ a mask. He wouldn't have been surprised if Robin slept in his.

The cape was shorter than he would have liked, but to begin with, Dick had never appreciated a cape being added to his uniform when he was nine. And these boots were too big. Robin had amazingly large feet. All-in-all, it felt odd being dressed like a second Robin.

Well, maybe not a second Robin. In case the Titans realized Richard Grayson hadn't just run to his room for a potty break or something, they reasoned (after arguing) that if Dick was going to wear a mask over his eyes, then there should be a muffler to disguise his voice, too. Which was how Dick found himself with a slick green scarf knotted around his mouth and a temporary means of communication wired into the scarf.

"I look absolutely ridiculous."

"Not feeling the 'aster'?"

"_Super-mega-redonkulously _heavy on the dis!"

"I don't know what that means," Robin replied wryly. They'd been riding for nearly half an hour now through Jump City and were nearing the outskirts fast. He looked to Dick from the rearview mirror, this time another smirk evident across his lips. "We're getting closer."

"Well, while we wait you can tell me some stories." Dick readjusted the scarf so that his lips were visible. One hand tangled itself over Robin's waist, and he looked over the other teen's shoulder. Stars littered the night sky, and at best it was probably three in the morning. "Starting with Wally—"

"Kid Flash. We're in public area, Richard—"

"You can't call me Richard and expect me not to call Kid Flash _Wally_, Robin."

Robin jerked, purposely taking a direction in the right, but Dick had done the same trick so many times on the R-Cycle that his grip didn't change. "You can't expect me to call you _Robin_, either."

"What," Dick asked without missing a beat, eyes widening under both his mask and spare helmet. "You expect me to go by another name? One of us can't be Dick Grayson and the other be Robin—"

"Which is what we're doing—"

"—not right now; confronting the guy you said could possibly be our _brother_." Which was totally, _incredibly _weird. It'd only been a couple weeks prior, after all, that Dick Grayson and Wally West were sitting at Flo's Dining discussing what would happen if Bruce Wayne ever pulled an Angelina Jolie and adopted another kid. His head spun at the possibility of getting replaced in the _near____future_. Robin was only three years older than him, and although he didn't imagine being the second half to Batman and Robin for the rest of his life, he didn't…want a finality or confirmation. Not this soon. Dick bit his lip. "Was…the fight that bad? So bad that you left him?"

"At the time," Robin replied bleakly. "He hacks the motion sensors once in a while thinking I don't notice, and checks up on me."

"And you let him?"

A small, barely audible and nearly bittersweet chuckle escaped Robin's lips. It almost sounded like a grunt. "Why not? That's when I make sure he's still sane."

"Oh." But evidently, no real answer as to whether or not this world's Dick Grayson and Bruce Wayne were still in contact with one another.

"How about Nightwing?"

"For what?"

"For your temporary name. Unless you want to do something ridiculous and call yourself Mister Whelmed."

"Did you just crack a joke? Hahaha! You totally just cracked a joke!" Suddenly through the mirror, Dick saw an odd grin grace Robin's lips, amused and oddly a bit too knowing. "What?"

"What, what?"

"Why are you smiling?"

"No reason in particular." Through shrubs and some foresty area, they finally came to a halt between a cluster of trees Robin must have known way too well. No other wheel tracks imprinted the ground from then on, but from the looks of it, there must have been another mile needing to be trekked before they made it. Robin confirmed the suspicions when he grabbed a grappling hook and propelled it toward a nearby tree. "It's on the left compartment."

"Gotcha." Dick looked to his belt, quickly memorizing the placement. Other than his freeze disks and smoke bombs, the way everything was systematically organized seemed about the same. Fingers lacing around the grappling hook, he joined Robin in the tree and instinctively brought himself to a perch right next to the other teen.

"We've got another few miles to cover." Robin explained. "About a mile in, he's got motion sensors to locate anyone who comes near his vicinity."

"Where's he live?" Dick snorted and crossed his arms. "A cave?"

"He hijacks places around the city and lives off the houses there until he gets bored." This time the other teen shrugged, eyes never leaving their surroundings before swinging toward another tree. Dick followed in suit. "But he's smart. As far as I can tell, any xenothium he gathers, Red X keeps vaulted in the cave; given he doesn't use the last of his supplies."

"And you figured all this out based on the Batcave's computer?" Dick let out a low whistle, gaining lead as he swung to a further tree. "Impressive."

Robin landed next to him, expression readable clear as day. And he was definitely staring at Dick like he'd grown two heads. "I figured all this out doing the research myself. I don't depend on Batman to do my work for me, Ri—Nightwing."

Dick stared back, unsure of what to say, then turned his head. "Oh." So…Batman _didn't_ provide all the information for him. And Robin…didn't need it.

The rest of the trip was spent in silence. Dick thought back to the mission with Kobra; how he tried to lead the team (with more years of experience than all of them to back it up), and remembered perfectly well how that ended up. Kaldur became leader, and without question made him second-in-command. Being the leader hadn't worked because he was apparently too young for the role, and he relied heavily on Batman reading his moves before he made them.

Working with yourself was _definitely_ different.

Robin must have had twenty things on his mind—a few of them regarding Dick's own loyalty with _his_ Batman, then the fact Wally didn't know his secret identity, and…other stuff. But he was a good leader and his team stayed by his side. His _friends._ Kaldur had to sacrifice being in Atlantis and work full-time on the surface world in order to be their leader. He left his _home_. So did Robin.

"We're here." Robin fell into the speed of his last swing, landing with an acrobat's grace in a mesh of shrubs as Dick did the same.

"What's the plan?" Dick automatically reached over his gauntlet for his holocomp—then stopped. "I don't have the holocomp with me. Can't hack the motion sensors."

"No problem." Robin pulled out a birdarang—red metal stiff and cold between his fingers before the sharp edges burst out. "We wing it."

"We _what?" _

Without another word, Robin leapt from the bushes, three birdarangs filling the gaps between his other fingers. He climbed the tree, flinging each and every one without ever looking back. A high-pitched hum filled Dick's ears and instantly, they detonated into a symphony of explosions.

Dick stood by, guarded as he searched for a bata—birdarang, then noticed a droning red light. He threw a birdarang and oddly enough, Robin flinched. A smirk spread across Dick's lips. "You missed one."

"Good to know." Robin smirked back, waiting tersely by the entrance of the cave as the other teen caught up to him. "The xenothium is most likely at the back of this cave. We'll have to be careful."

"You don't have a tracker on him?"

"You can't put a tracker on someone who knows your mind better than your own, sometimes." Robin shook his head, then pulled out a flashlight from his belt. "C'mon, this way."

There was another silence. Dick looked to Robin carefully against the faint light, eyes darting from stalactite to Boy Wonder warily. To his surprise, it was Robin who thought it was a good idea to make conversation.

"So," Robin said slowly. His tone was awkward, odd, and kinda funny. Apparently he wasn't the talkative type outside of being a leader. "You and Wally?"

"Uh." Dick felt his ears turn pink. Robin hadn't heard his weird not-a-confession confession, had he? "Yeah?"

"Not your Wally. Our Wally…" Robin cleared his throat, and through the light the other teen could see his counterpart fidgeting and…_nervous_. "My Wally. Ahem."

"Does that bother you?" Dick held back a grin.

"Not particularly…" Robin shrugged awkwardly. "…very particularly."

So much for codenames on enemy territory. Another grin spread across Dick's face and he crossed his arms almost triumphantly. "Well—"

"Hold it." Robin stopped them completely and placed a guarded hand across Dick's torso. They stopped dead center in the middle of the cave, and without question their hands tangled in their respective utility belts. Robin had tensed agonizingly from his position. "X! Show yourself!"

Silence.

But there was _definitely_ something wrong with this picture. Dick jerked Robin's hand away from his torso, regaining posture and momentum—

_Creak_.

"This way!" Dick flung the birdarang hastily in a different direction, but to his surprise it was deflected and thrown right back at him. "Why didn't it—"

"It's made for swifter travel," Robin explained quickly. He sprinted toward their disgruntled enemy, bow stick reappearing in his hands. "You've got to press the button on it—AH!" A kick caught him off guard, quickly flung at his jaw and caused him to hit the wall back-first.

"Robin? Robin!" Dick turned around, another birdarang promptly summoned from his belt, and quickly dodged a…_red shuriken?_ No—a red _X. _He swiveled, throwing one right back and dodged a punch to his stomach. Whoever it was, Dick _still_ couldn't see him.

"I'm alright," Robin called back, swiftly returning to his feet. "You hit him high and—"

"You'll him low?" Dick shut out any other sound other than his counterpart, and that _incessant creaking_. A fist made contact with his nose, and Dick grabbed what he could: presumably the perp's torso before flinging him against the wall, hands maneuvering over black gauntlets.

The red emblem glowed ominously in his eyes, nearly blinding the teenager as he tightened his grip.

"Caught you," Dick grinned.

To his surprise all he received was a low, eerie chuckle that made the hairs on his arms bristle coldly. Masked eyes looked at him, and though that mouth was covered, Dick was getting a sickening hunch Red X was smirking so maniacally even the Joker would give him praise.

Dick frowned. "What's so funny?"

"You." Before Dick could blink, Red X had him cuffed with red binding. Hard, jagged rocks made impact with Dick's head, and a rough gauntlet yanked at his hair—violent and _painful_. Before Dick could register the first collision of his nose against rock, Red X had succeeded with a second.

"_AH_—!"

Blood splattered the ground, mixing with rocks and trickling against the cool mud and warm granite.

_WHACK. WHACK. WHACK. _

He didn't stand a chance.

**xxxxx**

**Author's Note: **

So…This will sound really cruel, but I'm not quite sure what I will and will not make clear for you guys. After the last chapter (reactions were very, very amusing), some of you realized what was going on, and others didn't. So I'm torn between letting you do your own interpretation (like the beginning of this chapter should be a _huge_ DINGDINGDING) or giving you a literal answer (personally, I like letting you guys do your own interpretations and telling me :'D). What I _will_ tell you is that—I'm not telling you when it ends. It won't drag on, I promise you that, but I did originally make this story to be pretty open-ended. And we'll see.

I do know, however, that you guys are incredibly confused about what's going on with TT!KF and TT!Rob, but seeing as our focus is vitally on YJ!Rob and YJ!KF, I'm wondering how you guys would feel if I did a tie-in Teen Titans story that explains the TT!KFxRobness. And—those who are wondering why I added some TT!KFxRob, it's because they had so little contact with one another in Teen Titans that I'm hoping I was able to invent a relationship that didn't entirely alter canon.

And, uh. Yeah, that was a nod to Jason Todd. :D; Reviews would be nice!

_Preview: "Dick, I…I like you. I'm not talking about, 'Hey, you're totally my type of hot, let's date, Dickie,' kind of like. I…I seriously like you, and I don't care if you're straight. That you like Alexa. The time that we've gotten to spend together the past month? I loved it. I just…I really, really like you."_


	16. Identity

**Identity.**

Heh.

"I'm such a difficulty that you had to find a different partner to deal with me?" Red X's gaze pulled away from the shallow clumps that pooled around Boy Wonder number-two's head, gauntlets still digging into his wrists. From the way the boy had easily forced him against the wall, he had no doubt Batman had trained him. Robin, on the other hand, stood far parallel to him with his jaw looking half cracked and demeanor so cold that a normal person would have had chills. But he wasn't a normal person. "I'm flattered."

"Let. Nightwing. _Go._" The collapsible metallic bow stick snapped into place in _poor little Robby's_ hands and he stood taller. It was a _pathetic_ trick—_stand taller, look bigger and all powers of intimidation immediately come to your aide_—and he knew it well.

"Nightwing? Is _that_ his name?" Not many people could get under Boy Wonder's skin and make him _regret living_, but X knew. This boy—_Nightwing—_now had blood bunching in his ridiculous scarf and caking at his swelling head. Red X knew better than to let go of him—not if he wanted to drive Robin up the wall. "He's a cutie. I see you finally got rid of Starfire, Robbie. Or," he smirked under the skill indenture of his mask, "was it _Wally_?"

It actually didn't take much for little Robby to snap. So long as you broke the right bone.

Immediately under those ridiculous opaque lenses, Robin's eyes widened, and he charged forward, nearly delivering a bruise to X's head had he not ducked in time. "Don't you _ever_ say his name!"

Red X laughed, hands still coiled around the cuffs on Nightwing's hands, and raised his head. "His? What about _hers_?"

Robin stiffened, face visibly growing paler under his mask. There was something fishy going on—no doubt, otherwise the words wouldn't have stricken _poor little Robby_ the way that they were. Idiot.

Chuckling with amusement under his breath, Red X had little time to react before his grip on Nightwing's hands suddenly loosened. Nightwing twisted with a grace only an acrobat could conjure, body contorting and flipping until his feet met a stalactite, and slammed X's head harshly into the wall.

What X learned about wearing a cowl rather than a domino mask: Kevlar could completely cover your face. Still, the impact caught him off guard, and there was no doubt in his mind that this brat had been trained by the Big Bad Bat himself.

X quickly swiveled, changing feet to elbow the smaller boy in the stomach—and again, was taken by surprise as he was suddenly propelled in the air and thrown into another wall.

_WHAM._

"Don't," the little brat murmured, sounding like a wounded puppy trying to stand up for itself, "forget about little ol' me, _bro._"

Bro? The impact to the other wall had caused little damage. Red X looked up from his spot, quickly shaking off the sensation as he reached for an X-riken. Robin quickly swung at him, bow staff aiming precariously to his elbow, and he quickly rolled away, back to his feet before throwing three X-riken at the angry birdy.

Nightwing had him from behind, with escrima sticks.

Predicting Robin's moves were incredibly easy because X knew far more about Robby than he needed too—battle style included. _Nightwing_ showed the same style, albeit hazardous and reckless, but X was willing to bet that impact against the wall gave the brat some sort of concussion.

Awesome.

"I _don't_ want to fight you!" Robin growled and promptly jabbed the end of his staff to X's chin. "All we need is the xenothium and we'll _get out of your hair._"

"Giving up so soon? Oh, please." A smirk coiled across X's face under his mask and he pressed the cloaking button in his belt. Grabbing another X-riken, he threw it agilely at Robin's direction and promptly waited for it to explode. "Like _hell_ I would give it up, bird boy."

Fending off against one of Batman's petty students was no big deal. Fending off against two—like when a birdarang was thrown in his direction and met his belt _perfectly—was not as easy. _Red X jerked when the birdarang pierced his belt, nearly taking out skin and—

And started to beep. Well, weren't we just a little enthusiastic?

"Hah." He quickly yanked the birdarang from his waist, threw it back, and it came to no surprise as this Robin-duplicate skid over it and threw a punch in X's face. His hand met the fist, quickly pulling Nightwing forward and nearly off the ground due to their height difference and got a better look at his face. "So what do you think happens when you put two hand-to-hand combatants in a match?"

No answer. The hand was shaky, breathing shallow, and nose looked twisted across the face, blood leaking down the side of this brat's face. He was smaller than big, bad Robin—much thinner, but the moves were recognizable.

"Can you even hear me right now?" Red X mused.

Growl. Robin-like and vicious, Nightwing jumped to deliver a near-lazy kick to X's jaw. Violent, but unbelievably uncontrolled and spread out that it didn't even count for reckless. X dodged with ease, and—

"_Let. Him. GO._" Robin used the sudden distraction to fling three birdarangs in his direction.

X ducked, grabbed Nightwing by the foot and quickly flung the smaller teen to the other. If there was one thing the Birdy couldn't resist, it was rescuing a civilian—which got priority even over catching a horrendous villain. Smirking, Red X skidded backwards and waited.

He may not have known what the hell was going on, but already that little runt had a lot of spunk. Moreso than Robin.

Nightwing collided painfully into Robin's torso with a painful _SMACK_, and the taller bird pushed the shorter to the ground, carefully checking those wounds as Nightwing struggled to stay in a crouch.

"Richard," Robin muttered quietly, "you alright?"

"Mm…_f-fine._"

Richard. _Richard._ Red X laughed—loud, until it reverberated through the room as he leaned against the wall. "Is that it, _fearless leader_? You'd rather trust this runt by your side than your team? Than _Wally_? Is it because he was trained by Batman?"

Both Nightwing and Robin visibly tensed—_how __**pathetic. **_

Robin's jaw visibly tightened. "_Jason—"_

"Hehe. Clever one, aren't you? Bet it took you ages to figure that one out. _Dick._" X leered with amusement, hands dusting off bits of dirt from his shoulder, and already he knew that the words dug deep into Robin's skin. "Heh. No one knows, do they? No one but _Kid Flash_, your little boyfriend. Or is he, anymore? That pathetic little thing left you, if I do recall, because you acted just like Bat—"

It was Nightwing who pushed off the ground, quickly snatching the bow staff from Robin's side before swinging it Red X's way. He was drunk off that concussion, blood having dried down half the side of his face and jaw looking snapped X barely managed to dodge as Nightwing aimed for his head.

His back pressed against the wall and he had no escape.

"Richard!" Robin warned, standing to his feet at the last minute.

But if that was his feeble attempt to prevent 'Richard'/'Nightwing' from doing something stupid, he failed horribly. Nothing had changed in the way this young teen was breathing—shallow, short, and barely enough to keep the circulation going through his body. A loud growl escaped his lips and suddenly the shaft was trapping X until he truly had no escape.

"Don't," the young teen hissed, and the scarf fluttered down his body until he was left with nothing but the silicon domino mask that fit all too well, "you _dare_ speak his name. _Ever._"

"Kid Flash?" X offered a calm chuckle, and he yanked the domino mask off Nightwing's face, hearing the rip of skin and spirit glue before it was flung to the ground. Vibrant blue eyes only stared back. "Or _Wally_?"

The body above him had become both numb and stiff, eyes livid as they were dead before Nightwing dug the staff deeper into X's neck. Red X did him one better; getting the sharpest X-riken out of his utility belt, allowing it to expand—before he stabbed the younger teen in the torso, and twisted it one-hundred-and-eighty degrees.

"_A-AH—"_

"Bye bye, Birdie."

Nightwing went limp as his hands soared to the blood pooling at the end of his stomach, and Red X quickly pushed him away before—

"Titans! _Go_!"

—well, damn.

**xxxxx**

"_Rob…omigod…Rob!" _

"_Will he be alright? _

"_WHO DID THIS TO HIM?" _

"_Kid Flash! Calm down!" _

"_He's…he's my best friend…" _

"_He's going to be _alright._ Don't worry. I promise." _

Once Dick woke up he felt the adrenaline rush back to his senses. He coiled between the sheets; eyes, nose, and even mouth throbbing before curling his feet and taking in a breath that felt as if a knife was digging into his lungs. Blue orbs tentatively fluttered open, the aches of a recent mission soaring through his body and nearly causing him to vomit at his bedside. The young teenager pulled up against resistant, the tickle surfacing in his throat before he turned to the left and vomited—right into a bucket.

He lurched, fingers digging into the mattress until fingernails were pushing up against cuticles and whimpering in pain. Once he was done, Dick gasped and sat back, beads of heat ricocheting across his face like ants, until his head met the headboard and duvet was at his feet.

"You've been out for twenty-seven hours."

"Robin." Head tilting softly, Dick panted as he tried to catch his breath and—and…it didn't hurt anymore. His body ached like after four hours of intense training, rather than a finger being snapped off his hand or jaw dislocation. "I—_what_…?"

"A concussion, deep gash under your eye and, he snapped your left index finger." That explained the finger cast. Robin crossed his arms, eyes narrowed somberly at the long, monotonous beat of the heart monitor. "Raven healed your wounds."

"Oh." His head hurt like hell. Dick pressed a hand to his face, expecting to feel a scar that would embed itself after…he winced, memories suddenly flooding back. After getting his head repeatedly rammed into a wall. He remembered blood surfacing together like a pool of water, spinning at his feet, and fighting back, but it'd still been difficult. "Red X…knew every one of my moves before _I_ did." No one did that. No one but Alfred and Bruce.

"And then some," Robin pointed out. He ducked his head and shook his head. "Dick, I've…I've faced the demon overlord with my team. Aliens, guys that are twenty-billion times my size, and even ridiculous freaks that have turned me into a maniac. Ones…that have made me lose my sanity. But, Red X knows _every one of my moves_, and sometimes…I wonder; if because he knows me so well, that he'd be the one to kill me if I wasn't careful." Robin tensed. "I shouldn't have taken you out there. You weren't—"

"Don't you dare say that I wasn't ready." Injuries forgotten, Dick turned his entire body, eyes narrowing vehemently toward his counterpart. Anger swelled in his chest—bitter, horrid anger and that…_horrid_, sour feeling that made him feel so freaking _obsolete._ Incompetent to be a leader; incompetent to be _Robin._ He restrained from grabbing the other hero by the tunic only when pain shot up his back. "I'm ready for anything that comes my way, Grayson! _Anything_. He caught me off guard and I may have underestimated him, but that doesn't mean _we_ have never come back with anything less than the best!"

Robin flinched, visibly surprised by Dick's broad statement. _Good._

"I take my business more seriously than you think I do," he finished quietly, anger still swelling at the entity of his voice. "And my friendships, Dick. Otherwise I wouldn't be trying so hard…not to hurt Wally because of this. To hurt anyone."

With no doubt they both were getting accustom to the short, brisk silences that occurred between them. Dick looked down to his duvet, fisting the material between his hands and glaring at the useless finger cast that was supposed to keep it in place. Then predictably, Robin spoke. "You wanna know why Batman and I aren't the Dynamic Duo we used to be?"

Dick cocked his head, and stared in mild surprise.

Robin only looked back, arms crossed before he rested the tips of his fingers against his mask. "I told Kid Flash my secret identity."

_Beep…beep…beep…beep…Beep. Beep. Beep, beep—_

"My Batman wasn't as forgiving as yours probably will be." A green-gloved hand slowly fell to Robin's side and balled into a fist. "And I told Kid Flash my secret identity because he was my best friend. I liked him. A lot, and I put my feelings for him before my duty as Robin. I left Batman because I was sure Kid Flash would feel the same way, but he was scared. And _young._ We…we are—_were_ just heroes. Nothing more, nothing less."

"And then you locked your feelings up for good because you didn't think you could trust anyone before the Titans." It made sense. _Wally_…being the driving force, to whatever Robin—_any_ Robin's decision was. Dick felt his heart skip a painful beat as Robin looked away, clearly done with the subject. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine. I've…got Star, now." Somehow that conclusion/decision just didn't sit well at the pit of Dick's stomach.

"Why tell me?" He asked, leaning forward in his bed. Dick rubbed his sore arm, eyes carefully narrowing to Robin's. "Why, after you've been distancing yourself from me since we first got here?"

"Because _he _knows, Dick." Robin shook his head, pity visible in his voice, along with alarm. "Your Kid Flash knows that you're Robin."

**xxxxx**

It wasn't that Wally didn't want to be in the room, monitoring how his _best friend_ was doing.

No. Far from it.

The Robins had snuck out, and being who he was, Wally made no effort to intervene or answer Beast Boy's question on why he didn't chase after Richard Grayson. Then Cyborg said that it was "about time" to go find Robin; track him down, and much like his Robin, the Titans had theirs being tracked by a sensor in their yellow comm.-link thingie.

And Wally trusted Rob—_Dick._ Rob. He trusted both of them with his _life,_ just like he'd told Robbie back at the hospital after breaking his arm.

But seeing Dick; persevering in the most ridiculous Robin-makeshift outfit ever; and not even getting a chance to tease or make fun of him for it because of the blood that'd clumped in his hair, and the guy was _still_ trying to fight Red X?

With a finger bent inhumanly out of shape, and a gash running directly from under his eyelid to his fucking _jaw_?

Wally had seen the world in red, and before he knew it, Robin and the rest of the Titans were peeling him off the smug, laughing, _restrained_ Red X before he could do something stupid like try and vibrate a hand through Red X's chest. The speedster'd gone ballistic and entered hysterics trying to see his best friend as Raven tried her best to heal Dick, and he spent a good four hours at Rob—Dick's side, hoping that his best friend in the entire world would just—just…wake up…

Then Cyborg reminded him they got the xenothium.

It would be enough to send them home. In theory the machine would be ready in another day, and after those four hours spent with Ro—Dick, Robin convinced Wally to go see if Kid Flash and Cyborg needed help with the machine.

For once in Wally West's life, he couldn't give a shit about chemistry.

But there he was, after stubbornly disagreeing and Beast Boy having turned into a giant gorilla to pick him up and throw them into the Titans' Lab, sitting on a stool while Kid Flash and Cyborg looked over the mechanics and discussed the work.

"I don't want to be here," Wally confessed. He hadn't realized he'd interrupted a conversation until both other teens were staring him in the face, surprised that he spoke for the first time in two hours, and spared him a painfully sympathetic look. His chest only tightened. "I wanna be with Richard."

Damn. Dick, Richard, _Rob. _What kind of names could he _not_ call his best friend?

"If you really wanna be with him," he heard, "then go." Kid Flash sped to his side, ankle lightly touching Wally's own as a small smile looped across his lips; tired, weary, and understanding. "Cyborg and I have got a handle on things, Wally. Trust me."

"Besides," Cyborg grinned goofily. Despite _everything_, he was still so…good-natured. At first glance the Titans must have been beyond ridiculous with a super-strict leader, but after witnessing Red X's fight between both Robins, Wally wondered how often they had to deal with enemies that pushed their limits so…so horribly. "You're as good as deadweight right now, Kid. Go check on your boyfriend."

Wally sourly turned pink, hopping to his feet. "He's not my—thanks."

He rushed through the halls, ignoring the warm bellow that left the big guy's mouth, followed by the soft, _forced_ snickers from Kid Flash that sounded like they hurt. It made sense, Wally guessed. Robin in any form getting hurt so badly…he couldn't remember, actually, the last time Robin got this hurt. Not to this extent.

Rob didn't _get_ hurt. Robby was supposed to be that crazy, invincible little lucky birdie that always beat the odds. The fact Rob—_Dick_, dammit—got so badly injured…that was a twisted, sick nightmare Wally wished he could wake up from.

Running through the halls minimally made him feel better; with the adrenaline slapping his face and heart racing with each step as his feet pounded into the ground. Still—Wally felt his stomach twist in knots and a bitter taste in his mouth—he shouldn't have been so _trusting_ of Rob's abilities. Dick was only thirteen, and _tried_ to push himself. He didn't know his own limit.

"Robin—whoa." Wally scraped the rubber soles of his boots against the floor, fumbling as he struggled for a halt, then grabbed the Titans' leader by the shoulder to support himself from falling. They nearly tripped over and a loud noise resonated after Wally's nose made impact with Robin's.

"Ow."

"Sorry." No, not really.

Robin had put his arms against Wally's stomach to let up on resistance and narrowed his eyes wryly, one hand delicately pressed up against his nose. "He's awake."

"He's awake?" Wally's eyes widened.

"Yeah, but you and I need to have a talk—"

"Later." _Zip_! Wally burst through the door, jumped over the threshold, and looked wildly around for his best friend. His eyes darted to every possibility of the guest room—of that little brat that was cozied up in anything or in the dark corners, until his eyes landed on Dick.

Dick, who had a bandage on his left temple, a cast on his finger, and an ice bag pressed carefully to his eye. After standard procedure of bandaging him up, Raven had healed him. According to her, Dick would experience nothing more than a few aches from the parts of his body that received wounds. He hadn't lost consciousness until _after_ the Titans and Wally intervened, and the injuries sustained could have been so much worse, but…

His best friend was just sitting there, so _tiny_ in the bed with frail muscles, and all of the color gone from his face, and those blue eyes so…so _vivid._

"Rob," Wally choked, cheeks swelling with heat as he fought the overwhelming urge to cry. Rob wasn't dead. Rob hadn't died. "Robby, oh, _god_—" The seconds went fast, even for Wally as he took trembling steps forward and pulled the younger teen in a hug. He wasn't mad anymore. Just…frustrated, and even though Dick was shaking and tense, Wally only buried his nose deeper in the crook of his neck.

And sobbed.

Warm tears meshed between his freckles and Dick's shoulder, and he was being ridiculous, he knew, but Wally couldn't have been any happier in his life. His fingers dug into the hospital gown the other teen wore, nails scraping against bare shoulders, and softly cried. Dick wasn't dead. _Robin_ wasn't dead. Wally still had a best friend, who was alive and hadn't left him.

"You're stupid," the elder teenager wailed, and he climbed into Dick's bed, arms wound tightly against his best friend's. Tears blurred his vision, but still the redhead didn't care how much of an idiot he looked like. They burned against his skin, but also felt so freaking _needed_, that Wally couldn't help them. He needed to cry. "You're so fucking _stupid_, and you're an _idiot_ and—_hic_—god, Rob, what the hell were you thinking!"

Rob—Dick hadn't moved. Wally knew that too, how stiff the younger teen felt under him like his best friend had been replaced with a plank of wood. The redhead himself was still crying that it was so freaking embarrassing, and finally he pulled away, looking Dick in the face fully for the first time.

Blue eyes stared back, wide, horrified, and…even scared. For once Rob hadn't pushed his emotions to the deep depths of his heart, and it wasn't the guarded shyness _Dick Grayson_ had been pulling for the past month. Rob was really scared of him.

"Rob—"

"Wally," Dick breathed. His voice was hoarse; obviously still tired from the fight. Sapphire orbs grew fearful and shaky, and cracks behind irises that tried to guard themselves—but horribly, horribly failed. "You...I…" Wally had never seen the younger teen have to _struggle_ to find his voice.

Then it finally hit him. Wally's heart palpated and he lowered his gaze, eyes gleaming against the dull lights of the room as they looked back to those gorgeous orbs, taking in the sight he got to see every day, since meeting Dick for the first time. "Yeah. I know you're my Robin."

It was still a lot to take in, from the looks of it. Dick looked sick to his stomach from the fight with Red X, physically wounded because he didn't have the right tech or equipment that would allow him to defend against that creep. A moment later those eyes were obscured from Wally's view as Dick looked down at his own hands, ebony eyebrows furrowed. He nudged Wally's hand with his knee. "I'd…appreciate it if you'd get off my bed."

"I…uh." It'd been an unspoken habit between them for ages now. Wally couldn't remember the last time he ended up in the hospital or stuck in bed for something, without promptly having Boy Wonder swinging through the window and stealing most of the space to the point he nearly fell off. He'd held Rob's hand, back at the HQ the entire night until the little guy fell asleep. Because Rob was _sick._ "Sure."

Wally crawled off the bed, instinctively biting the inside of his lip as he occupied the chair the other Robin probably sat in. Dick's head remained lowered to his hands and he said not a word.

"I'm not as stupid as you think I am, Rob." Wally glared softly, hands crossed over his chest. "I…would have figured it out eventually."

Dick's hands curled into broad fists. "How long?"

"Since…the beginning. Ish." Immediately he tensed as blue eyes looked to him, disbelieving and painfully hurt. It was different; looking at Rob without finding civvies. Dick's hair was left without gel, disheveled, clean, and wrinkled from twenty-something hours of his rest, and the tone of voice he spoke in no longer fluctuated like a kid that just hit puberty. "Whoa—_Rob_—"

"You knew since…since _that_ _long_?" Dick yanked the IV from his arm and pulled the cords that were connected with his temples. He swung his legs over the mattress—

And Wally stopped him, hands placed carefully on the other's shoulder. He knew Rob wouldn't have trouble breaking his fingers into forty different joints, but before his best friend had the opportunity to mangle him, Wally spoke again—"I only had a hunch!"

The body parallel to his slackened in stature. Dick's hands wrapped themselves thoroughly around Wally's wrist, and the glare was set on his face. No—the look of frustration, anxiety, and…oddly enough, the need to squirm.

"Rob…I…" Wally's throat went dry. He always figured one day Robin would tell him the secret-ID behind that weird mask. Not…find out like _this_ of all ways, but if it'd been anything by the hesitant looks that would occasionally accompany Richard Grayson's amusement, Wally knew it must have been a harsh blow in the stomach. So he started things off simply. "You know what my first impression of you was? _You_, not…Rob?"

Dick's fingernails curled into Wally's gauntlet.

"We met because some stupid jock from your high school was picking on you, right?" Wally twisted his hand until only one pale palm remained against his and held it tightly. He thought back to that day, when those eyes had been the first thing to draw Wally in, and once that boyish grin curtsied across thin lips, he'd been sold.

"You saved me," Dick muttered. "Because I had to go along with the disguise and pretend that I couldn't protect myself."

So _that_ was why. The speedster crossed his arms, landing contemplatively in the seat behind him. Dick still wouldn't look him in the eye.

"Are you upset that this disguise didn't work, or that I figured it out?" Dick didn't give an answer. "That day, the first time I _looked_ at Dick Grayson before you even introduced your name, I thought you were…_you._" Wally ran through his thoughts before making gawky, nervous gestures with his hands. "I mean…that Dick Grayson was Robin, and vice versa. And then I shrugged it off."

_C'mon…_why wasn't Dick looking at him?

"I mean, there was just no way this kid, who just got his lunch money stolen by some stupid jock was actually Robin, Boy Wonder. No possibility. But…" Wally bit his lips, eyes looking to his fingers as they tangled and fumbled together. His cheeks burned as dark as his hair and heart throbbed in his chest. "I…couldn't get enough of it, Di…Ro…D—_Rob. Y_ou guys were just so much alike, and you said that the friendship would be alright, and…you'd slipped up. I think…it wasn't that you unintentionally did it, but you kinda just…did."

Silence.

"On some of the days you jumped off the stage after play rehearsal like you'd been doing it your entire life," Wally said gently. "When you got into conversation, even if it started off quiet and soft, you dived right into it, and your voice went from this late bloomer to your hyperactive self. And…you and I would have conversations together. I…forgot how old you were. _Always_ forgot how old you were, and that was a good thing. But…"

Wally fidgeted.

"…you never answered my question, whether or not you were part of the Flying Graysons. And Robin's…got a show poster in his room." Looking back up, the elder found that Dick's eyes hadn't left his own hands. His expression was blank, lips tight in a straight line, and gaze was so…frigid. Isolated and lonesome. The speedster's throat went dry and abruptly he stood up, figure plopping back on the bed and forced his best friend to look at him. "That's how I confirmed it."

Hazy blue eyes softened, acknowledging a presence other than their own, and Rob put a trembling hand on his wrist again. "Look—"

"No, wait." This confession was long overdue, after _years_ of…just pushing them away. Wally ran a hand through his hair, lips bitten between his teeth and eyes filling to the brim with every ounce of courage he could conjure. It wasn't very much, taking into consideration how his voice made an unmanly squeak. "Dick, I…I like you. I'm not talking about, 'Hey, you're totally my type of hot, let's date, Dickie,' kind of like. I…I seriously like you, and I don't care if you're straight. That you like Alexa. The time that we've gotten to spend together the past month? I loved it. I just…I really, _really_ like you." Maybe even love.

"I think it's best if you get out of my room."

**xxxxx**

Things at the Tower had been super, totally, _mega-_crazy since Kid Flash—er, that _other_ Kid Flash came with that Richard kid came along.

Beast Boy kinda sorta thought they were weird. And, _HELLO_, Richard was totally freaking him out. Did he like, count as a whore or what? Richard and the other Kid Flash had been joined by the hip since that first day, when they got to the Tower, and both of them avoided Robin like the plague. Their Kid Flash was okay with things. And then Richard and Kid Flash—THEIR Kid Flash—were cuddling. _CUDDLING_! And why the heck did Robin bring a civilian to Red X, anyway? Decked out and dressed up like a ridiculous version of Robin's _sidekick_?

"Are you going to stand there all day or will you stop _twitching_?"

"Eep!" Beast Boy squeaked, tumbling away from Raven's door and turning into a frightened little kitten into the process. He meowed, hands meekly over the crown of his head and eyes gazing up to Raven's form. "Uh…" He turned back to human. "Hi."

"Hi," Raven replied flatly. Come to think of it, _she_ wasn't even as grouchy as Robin was right now. Knowing Robin, he probably locked himself in his room and went training or something. That guy could get pretty freaking intense. "What are you doing at my door?"

"Er, well…" What _was_ he doing here? Beast Boy rocked between his heels, eyes wide and gleaming and a toothy, hopeful smile spread across his lips. "Cyborg and the Kid Flashes are working on that trans-dimensional time-thingie and…Robin's probably off somewhere making out with Starfire or something."

Raven opened her door slightly wider, eyes analytic and wry. "So?"

"So that leaves you and me." Beast Boy grinned again, standing at the tips of his toes and waving his hands around. "Don't you uh, wanna hang out?"

"No." _SLAM. _

"Aw." Beast Boy sighed in defeat and melted to the ground as a defeated octopus. He turned to his side, effectively changing into a turtle on its shell, and rocked back and forth. Because that was _seriously _how he felt. Cyborg was too absorbed in his transdimensional-thingie and being so much of a geek they couldn't play video games. Kid Flash wouldn't have a tofu-eating contest with him, and Starfire was still on that love-high being Robin's girlfriend.

He groaned once more, dragging himself to human feet and rolled his eyes with disdain before hobbling down the wall.

"_Robin, please…talk to me." _Star's voice.

"_Right now really isn't a good time." _

Whoa, lover's quarrel. Beast Boy turned into a bloodhound and teetered toward the door, ear pressed against the cool surface of Star's room. He could factually _feel_ the tension radiating. _Step, step, step. _Someone was walking.

"_Does it have something to do with….with that boy?"_

Robin's footsteps halted near the door, frozen in place like he'd just been caught in the act. Star and he were usually lovey-dovey and cutsie. Which was…_sweet_, in the gross, gooey way. _"What?" _

"_I…Robin," _Starfire began quietly, _"You have been distant. More so than usual, and…it…it hurts. You have not looked me in the eye since our return. No—since we found out which world Kid Flash and Richard originate from." _She gasped. "_Is it Kid Flash? Did he hurt your feelings?" _

"_Starfire—"_

"_I will crush him!" _

"_No! Star—I—believe me, I'm not upset. But…" Tap, tap, tap. _Beast Boy could see the scene now: Starfire's eyes were glowing that freaky alien green color, violent and scary as she could sometimes be, and then Robin walking up to her and looping a hand on top of hers. "_I'm having a difficult time. I don't want you to worry, for my sake."_

"_Then, will you look me in the eye?" _Silence. He probably looked away, instead. _"Robin—"_

The door swished open with a loud, monotonous drone, and Beast Boy fell back with a yelp. He morphed back to a human, taken off guard as steel-toed boots sauntered in his direction, and squeaked with fear. Robin leered at him, face long and grim, and Starfire leaned forward from the doorway with a gasp, green eyes widened with surprise. Oh, crap.

"Er, now, I _know _this looks bad, but—"

"Go and comfort her for me." Robin pushed him aside and was already down the hall before Beast Boy could realize what was going on.

"I, uh. A-alright." The youngest teen turned back, eyes narrowing nervously to the sadness and frustration strewn across 'her' face, and grimaced. 'Her' eyes watered, dainty fingers falling over her lips and stature wilting until she was just standing on the ground and restraining herself from crying. "Aw, Star…"

Beast Boy transformed into a tiny feeble kitten, fur growing against his skin as he shrank, and hopped across the room with a meow until he was nuzzling Star's leg.

She giggled—soft, remorseful, and hollow—before picking him up, eyes glazed with heartbreak. Beast Boy buried his face in the crook of her neck, pang of guilt and sadness balling in his chest as he let out a sympathetic purr.

"Robin prides himself on being a hero, and after Tokyo, I…believed that we would be closer," she explained quietly, hands tangling into fluffy green fur. "But…there are still times, when I am under the assumption that he puts being a hero before being my boyfriend."

Beast Boy meowed unpleasantly. Robins kinda had commitment issues. Before the Titans he figured theirs was just married to crimefighting, which was kinda one part of polygamy that Beast Boy wasn't quite settled with.

"Perhaps Richard was right. I…do not even know his name."

"Dude," Beast Boy quickly turned back into a human, eyes wider than an owl's as he waved his arms around. "Are you seriously doubting your relationship with him over one stupid thing?"

Starfire looked away, hand squeezing her chest tightly. "Perhaps so—"

"Well don't!" he insisted. Starfire and Robin were the _it_ couple. They'd had nitty-gritty sexual tension, since like, _ever_. Since the Team formed! One freaking makeout session with her in the center of Jump City and Robin would have been on her like tofu on _burgers_. "One little fallout with Robin doesn't mean you guys aren't good together. If he wanted to break up with you, don't you think he'd do it already instead of being his weird, jerky self?"

Green orbs stared back, taken aback and startled. He softened, eyebrows knitting together sympathetically as he backed up toward the door.

"I'm going to go find him and see what's up, alright?" Normally that was Starfire's job or Rae's job, but evidently the former was who the problem was with, and the latter had confined herself in her room with that blank, 'I know what's going on, but figure it out for yourself, _you idiot'_ look. Kid Flash (er, their Kid Flash) and Cy kicked him out of the lab ten minutes before he went to bug Raven. So, that left that option out.

Beast Boy walked through the halls of the Tower, frown curling against his lips as his only provided company seemed to be the hum of the air conditioner. As far as he knew there wasn't anyone in the Main Ops room playing videogames, but it wasn't any fun playing by yourself. And…Starfire, _now_, was probably locked in her room sulking. He would, too, thanks to Rob being a jerk. What'd you have to do with Rob so that he'd tell you his secret-ID? _Have sex with him?_

He stopped again down a hallway, only when the big blob of yellow caught his eye, the other world's Kid Flash reluctantly left the room, holding the same heartbroken expression that Star had. His eyes had dimmed until they barely looked green anymore, all the color lost from his face and gaze easily hollow, like someone had just ripped his heart out.

Apparently Richard totally just told Kid Flash that he was cheating on him. With uh, himself.

You'd really think Richard and Rob were the same person or something.

"You were right," Beast Boy vocalized after Kid Flash had leaned into the door, no doubt having all the feeling lost in his feet. Green eyes looked at him, just as distraught as Starfire's were. "Robin can be a real jerk. You were right to make fun of him."

"I…" Kid Flash's eyes reanimated, but Beast Boy had trouble figuring out what was going through them. A red gauntlet ran through red hair, and Kid Flash's eyes had turned back to the door. "Don't call him a jerk."

_SERIOUSLY? _"He's hurting Starfire! Of course he's being a jerk!"

"Your Rob?" Suddenly there was a glint that appeared in Kid Flash's eyes, but it didn't look necessarily pleasant. Maybe bitterly amused as he crossed his arms, but then he just shook his head. "_Your_ Rob…yeah, he's kind of a jerk. But you've really got to read between the lines to know if he's pushing you away because he's trying to protect you, or because he's hurting. And trust me; he's not pushing Starfire away on purpose. There's some…things."

Was he freaking _kidding_? "You're seriously not mad at him," Beast Boy drawled, arms crossing over his chest with an arched eyebrow, "even after what he did to your boyfriend?" Who uh, was cheating on Kid Flash with Kid Flash? Did that technically count as cheating?

"Rob's not my—Dick isn't—" Wally paled considerably, despite the fact all the color washed from his face earlier. His eyes widened with alarm and slowly he drooped, finally shaking his head. "Richard isn't my boyfriend. We're not even dating."

"But the other Kid Flash and he were—er, never mind." Beast Boy's ears drooped behind him innocently as Kid Flash tersely gazed at him. There was time for play and making fun of Robin, and there was time for glaring and being angry at Beast Boy. Unfortunately for him, it was the second choice, and Kid Flash didn't look happy with any point Beast Boy planned on making. Eep.

"I'm gonna go check on the process that Kid Flash and Cyborg have made." The redhead turned away, centering himself to the balls of his heels. He saluted Beast Boy, and miserably shook his head. "The faster Ro—Richard and I can leave, the better."

One blink later, Beast Boy was alone again.

**xxxxx**

It was the next morning, when Cyborg and Kid Flash finished the preparations for their leave. They must have been in the Titans' Universe for at least three days now, and Wally had given up trying to figure out if Batman would fail them for the mission. They'd never mingled with cross-dimensional travel, for one thing, and Richard Grayson had gotten injured. Granted that was something they didn't have to _tell_ the big grumpy Bat, but Wally would have felt more assured if…if _Dick_ got checked out to make sure he was okay.

Who was walking, which was a plus. Raven being the medic had unwound the bandage over Dick's temple, followed by the finger cast, and grazed a finger under Dick's eye where the large red 'X' had cut down his face from cheek to jaw. 'Richard,' redressed in the Gotham Academy uniform that'd been cleaned and pressed, caught her hand and offered a broad smile. "Thanks for saving my life."

"Thanks for…providing an interesting predicament." She raised an eyebrow, all the while amused but still introverted and detached. In a way, it _almost_ reminded Wally of Artemis. Only with less gripe.

Wally leaned against the doorframe, hands firm behind his back as he watched Dick—tiny, _frail_ little Dick dangling his legs like a little kid and Raven muttered something under her breath that sounded along the lines of, 'azarath metrion zinthos' or something. From the corner of his eye he saw a black-and-yellow cape purposefully-audibly swishing through the door and filling the gap the speedster had left.

"You held your own out there, you know," Robin said loudly.

Dick halted. His smile suddenly morphed; like it was at the crossroads between his frustration and being caught in the middle of his feigned gratefulness. He raised his head, pulling away from Raven's attention—missed Wally's gaze by half an inch—and looked directly at his counterpart.

"Red X caught you off guard by cuffing you, then obstructed your attention by bashing your head into a wall," Robin didn't cringe once, "but then you flipped over him and crashed him into another wall with your hands still trapped together. I'm pretty sure that was how you broke your finger."

"He's…got a point," Wally added quietly. He looked over to Robin, surprised this world's Boy Wonder was actually trying to give a pep talk. "You were still kicking and screaming by the time I got there. Starfire and Beast Boy had to restrain you. Somewhere through all of it I think you just slipped out of consciousness."

And then _he'd_ hyperventilated, and Kid Flash had to calm Wally down before he did something stupid.

"I…don't remember anything after Red X gained the upper hand." Dick turned his head, eyes forcing themselves to look back to Raven. "It was probably just instinct, from there on."

"You're a good fighter, Dick…Robin." Robin crossed his arms, standing taller next to the door. He smiled gently, lips uneasily curling upward with reluctant acceptance. "More so than I was at your age. I mean it. You're a bit…immature, than I expected, and you give out way more lip than I ever did, but you're a good fighter."

"You're pretty whelming yourself." Dick mimicked the smile, weak and still so unsure. He…hadn't looked Wally in the eye. Not since yesterday, when the speedster came bursting in the room and hugged him so tightly.

It was then that they were all reminded there was a fourth entity in the room, when Raven leaned over, hand careful on the youngest teenager's arm and whispered something quietly in his ear.

Wally took the time to turn around and looked over to Robin. Not once had Raven flinched, which probably meant she was the only one in the Tower other than Kid Flash who knew his secret-ID. Thoughts crossing through his mind, he touched a hand to Robin's shoulder and turned him around so at least they were somewhat looking at one another.

"What are you going to do about Starfire?" Wally stopped, then added slowly, frown spreading across his lips and cheeks miserably dusting with red, "I mean, that kiss…"

They leaned slightly out of the doorframe. Both Raven and Dick looked at them curiously as Robin pulled the redhead out of the room in the middle of the hallway. "Do you regret it?"

Wally thought back to the aftermath of the kiss; how tingly he'd gotten and how fireflies were flying around his stomach, and the way Rob still looked weird, even if it wasn't his Rob, and that…really cute thing, where Robin's ears glowed bright pink even though he was technically older.

Then…to Dick, how he spewed his guts out to the younger teenager and return got nothing. They hadn't said a word to one another since then. As far as Wally knew Starfire had brought a tray of food for 'Richard' to eat during dinner, and he himself had been occupied getting the machine up and running.

Kissing Rob was something he wanted to do for _years._ That was a boundary he'd never crossed because he always had to remind himself that Robin was younger, and had _Batman_ looming over his shoulder. But Dick Grayson, that kid Wally met outside of Gotham Academy, was everything Rob was, and it seemed so…so _appropriate._ So natural, and so right to be hanging out with Dick Grayson.

"I don't regret kissing you." He regretted the consequences of telling tiny, little Dick about his feelings. He regretted ruining two years of their friendship, and he regretted making this huge gap between them where his best friend just couldn't look him in the eye anymore. Wally breathed, eyes fluttering closed as he shook his head and tried to get a steady pulse on his heartbeat. "And I—I'm pretty sure you don't regret kissing me, but you've got a girlfriend, and also are fighting off feelings for your _own_ Kid Flash, and…"

"And I have to deal with it, myself." Robin crossed his arms, authoritative and analyzing the redhead like a patient in a psychiatric home. He hated it. "But—"

"No. Do me a favor?" Wally took the arched eyebrow behind Robin's mask in stride, laughing quietly under his breath. He pointed to Dick through the door. His Rob. "Don't…lock yourself up anymore. Talk to Starfire, talk to Wally, but—don't put your duty before your heart. Because your duty sucks."

Evidently taken aback, Robin stared at him for a moment, then twitched when that yellow-comm-thingie beeped. "Robin here. Cyborg?"

"_Preparations are ready, Robin. Go get the duplicates." _

Visibly, Robin nodded, then brought the comm.-thingie back to his pocket. "Right. Robin, over and out."

Walking back into the room, Dick was already at his feet and had been conversing with Raven. Wally looked to both of them, and for the first time those blue eyes looked back—_leering, _like he'd overheard what they said outside in the hallway. Or—oh, duh.

Like Dick knew how to read lips.

"Cyborg says that the preparations are ready," Robin vocalized. He looked down to the younger teen amusement brimming in his tone. "You ready to go?"

"Perfectly turbed," Dick muttered. He dusted off the nonexistent dirt from his trousers, pushed at the hair that'd been re-gelled, and followed Robin out the door.

The walk toward the Titans' Lab was incredibly silent, other than when Raven and Robin would converse with one another. Once or twice Wally caught himself looking at Dick, and realizing the height difference between them. Dick noticed the second time that the redhead had been staring, and looked back. Unfortunately as he did so it felt as though the younger teen was looking straight through him.

The other Titans were already in the lab, discussing the schematics and possibilities of that big arc-looking thingie that Cyborg named, the Trans-Dimensional Portal.

"Thanks for having us." Wally forced a feeble smile, looking between all of them before fidgeting gain and nudging Robin in the shoulder. "And I'm sorry. For insulting your leader and making fun of Robin. I…" He looked over to Dick and was met with the back of his black hair. But Dick was tense and clinging onto every one of his words. "I respect Robin, dearly. And I hope he'll respect me, too."

Fortunately that seemed to get a smile out of Starfire. She squealed, clearly satisfied with the apology, and then leaped into the air. "And so it has been said! Please, now commence with the hugging so our Robin will be happy!"

Uh… Wally turned around, awkwardly scratching one of his temples. "Non-committal bro-hug?"

Robin looked back, clearly amused and a bit disgruntled. He smiled slightly and looped an arm around Wally's shoulder. The redhead did one better, and consumed the other teen in a strong, impenetrable embrace. And this Robin wasn't tiny. He was scrawny from being an acrobat, but he definitely wasn't tiny.

"God, you've got issues." Wally forced a grin in his hair and got a chuckle in return.

"You aren't '_whelmed'_, yourself, West."

Finally, they pulled away from one another and the redhead shrugged his way to Dick's side. Stubborn blue eyes looked over to him, eyebrows furrowed, and they both knew the younger teen was holding something back.

"The main problem with making the Trans-Dimensional Portal was that there was no way to know where you two would have landed, in that world." Cyborg grinned, and the hum of the portal lighting up deafened most ears. It flickered, and then suddenly—

"That's the Batcave," Dick commented, actually taken aback.

Wally looked to him from the corner of his eye, then nodded.

"There wasn't a receiving end, and so you could have ended up in the theoretical multiverse that Larry told us about a couple months back." The robot blinked, then scratched his head like he was confused about something. He grinned again. "But luckily it looks as though your Batman knew you two had traveled so far away, and the cause of it. So traveling to and from the portal won't be too much of a problem—"

"But we won't be doing it for a long time." Kid Flash shook his head, tone surprisingly going strict. He arched an eyebrow and munched on the hoagie that was in his hand. "Cross-dimensional travel is _very_ dangerous. Which is why Uncle—the _Flash_ designed the Cosmic Treadmill so that we could control when we go forward and back from time."

Oh, right. Wally crossed his arms and shivered, remembering _that_ particular trip well. He hoped no one would ever bring it up again.

Dick had turned his head again, eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What's the Cosmic Treadmill?"

The redhead smiled back grimly. So Dick wasn't going to talk to him, unless it involved their hero work? "You're not the only one with secrets, Ro…Richard."

Apparently that stung. But at this point Wally couldn't tell what they were currently fighting over, why Dick was mad at him, and why they just couldn't talk. He knew better than to pick at a wound that'd yet to heal, but it was rare that Dick pushed him away. And…given the circumstances of why, Wally wasn't looking forward to the next time they would talk about it.

Then again, Robins were really good at forcing themselves to talk to someone even when they couldn't stand the sight of one another. Dick turned his way, feet parallel to Wally's own, and looked up to him, eyes calculative and hesitant. "Joker and Zoom are under the impression that I'm Robin."

Wally looked to the others expectantly, then lowered his voice. "You technically are."

"'I,' being Richard Grayson." Dick offered a pointed look and then shook his head. "I've got to throw them off my trail when we get back."

"And how do you plan on doing that?" Wally ignored the bitter tug on his heart, and ignored the fact there was no way Dick was even looking at him. He put his hands on his hips, and watched as blue eyes wandered across the lab, connecting with his counterpart.

"I…might have an idea or two."

**xxxxx**

As far as Flash had known, it started on Tuesday when Wally came home from Gotham, upset with a fight he'd gotten into with Robin. Then, the little speedster had apparently pushed his frustrations from being mad at Robin to being focused on protecting Richard 'Dick' Grayson from Joker. Which, was a very, _very_ logical worry, given who the Joker was. But still very odd. So, he ran up to Gotham that night, and somehow convinced Bruce to let the team protect Robin (whether or not the Boy Wonder really needed it), and there you had it.

He didn't expect for Zoom to go so far once again, and try to hurt his nephew. Joker and Zoom teaming up was the _last_ possibility in his mind, and the more he tried to get a grasp of the thought, the less Barry could comprehend it. The next thing he knew, Friday night he'd been called up by the league. Aqualad had apparently found a ray—a Cross Dimensional Radar Gun that could transport anyone to any dimension. Zoom's mechanism, no doubt.

Now, about three days later, Barry found himself late for work as he zipped across the Midwest toward Gotham after a call from Batman. They'd kept the portal down in the Batcave open, but with no way to get back and the Cross Dimensional Radar Gun (or, CDRG, for short) being busted (probably from Supes Jr.—er, _Conner_, like Wally told him) they had to wait it out. There was no telling where they would end up in the other universe if they used it, and without a way _back_, they were pretty much screwed. Reassuring Mary and Rudy that their son would be okay was a hassle, but at least Iris was confident that their nephew would be okay.

"Master Flash."

"Hey, Alf." Barry grinned good-naturedly, spinning at the door of the Wayne Manor until the Flash suit was safe back in its ring compartment and he was back as himself. Sure, there were about twenty hidden passageways to get to the cave, but he still didn't know a single one. Bruce could be a little tactless, sometimes. "I got the alert from Bruce. He said that the kids were back and—"

"And that they are down in the Batcave, in the middle of forming another plan while Joker is performing a heist to the nearby public library." Alfred smiled soberly, eyes a bit too knowing as he bowed his head and led Barry to the old grandfather clock Bruce kept around the house. The entire place was a little too…gruesome, for his taste. "Shall I inform them of your arrival?"

"Nah. I'll surprise 'em."

"Would you like some cookies then, Master Flash?"

"Sure. Make double for the Kid." He didn't miss the way Alfred nodded and visibly sighed in defeat, before rushing down the entryway of the Batcave. He knew it by heart, given how many times he was willingly Bruce's test subject.

Midway he came to a halt, eyes fixated on the portal Bruce had built nearly two months ago, and found Wally exactly where he wanted him. A grin spread across his face and he pushed away any other thought, promptly rushing downstairs to give the little speedster the biggest hug ever—but stopped, again, when he realized the two people that were right next to his nephew.

Two Robins.

One who was _definitely_ their Boy Wonder, with the red uniform and all, but then there was the other Robin, who…looked older. And stood taller right next to the semi-confused Wally. They hadn't noticed his arrival yet.

"I'd like to see the schematics of your uniform," the older Robin commented with clear interest. He rubbed his chin, and the corner of his lip turned upward with fascination.

The younger Robin—their Robin—smiled back softly but—it was strained. Barry hadn't seen Robin since the incident back at the Watchtower, but there was definitely less enthusiasm in the way he stood. Less heart. "Maybe later. Do you remember the plan?"

Older Robin grabbed what presumably was the Gotham Academy School uniform, and nodded. "You go off as backup for Batman. Kid Flash is guarding _me_, 'Richard Grayson,' and if he tries to provoke you, you point to the crowd of civilian, where I'll be standing in your place."

Whoa. _Whoa_. Wally finally figured out who _Robin_ was? When did that happen? Barry blinked, too stunned to move, then zipped all the way back upstairs before they spotted him.

"_Batman here. Right now isn't a good time, Flash." _

"Well, er—trust me. You're gonna want to know about this one."

Five minutes later, Barry rushed to the coordinates of the Thomas Wayne Public Library and hid himself among the clusters of civilians who were always too fascinated with watching Batman fight to remember they were incredibly scared. According to Batman, the Joker's heists had been a little unpredictable, even for him, but given his sporadic tendencies, Bruce still hadn't figured it out.

A wall had been blown off the front of library, and gargantuan shelves of books were now broken into heaps on the ground. Batman had taken the fight outside on the rooftop, where Harley Quinn, Joker, and their pack of vivacious hyenas were attacking the Dark Knight all at once. And—clearly winning. An uncomfortable feeling twisted in Barry's gut and he looked around the distracted crowd carefully before pressing at his comm.-link.

"Bats, maybe I should—"

"_No. I've got faith in Robin."_ There was a loud cackle on the other side, one with a Brooklyn accent and another so high pitched that it scraped the surface of Barry's eardrums. He winced just as Batman clearly did, and a hyena took the advantage to sink its teeth into the Caped Crusader's arm.

"_Robin? You mean Richie Grayson, Batsie?~ Zoomy and I got rid of him ages ago!" _Joker laughed—sickeningly gruesome and absolutely disgusting. Batman had taken that moment to punch the hyena off his bicep, but the Joker swung his mallet Bruce's way, happy and way too giddy. "_**I **__wanted to kill him, but nooo, __**Zoomy**__thought it'd be better if we just sent them away! Just like you send __**me **__away, you dinky ol' Bat. How's about you finally take a vacation with the wife and—oh? That's right! Your kid's __**missing!" **_

Bruce had been doing a good job at dodging each and every one of Joker's swings, going as far as throwing a batarang against the mallet, but a moment later the same mallet rammed square into the Bat's face. Barry grimaced, hands fluttering to his eyes. It was true, Joker was only a thin line away from figuring out who Robin was, but Batman working alongside the Flash would have made Joker going to jail go by _way_ faster.

"_Sick 'em, puddings!" _Ooooww. That had to be Harley.

Then out of nowhere, the red-and-black blur finally caught Barry's eye. Out from nowhere, Robin popped onto the roof, hands behind his back before flinging a batarang in Harley's direction. From the comm.-link, Barry could hear her shriek with pain, and even without said link, Robin's cackle illuminated through the Town Square.

"It's Robin!" said one person. "Robin's finally back!"

Loud cheers and veers erupted from the crowd of people, and Barry skid across the streets silently until he was in a clear area.

"_You're late," _Bruce said flatly through the comm.-link.

"_Late?" _Robin repeated. _"Point is point, Batman. At least I'm here now, right? Hahaha." _

Bats growled into the comm.-link, audibly disapproving, but said nothing else. From where he stood, Barry could see Batman charging forward with Robin on his trail, escrima sticks pulled out from behind his cape. Robin fended off against three hyenas, jabbing them square in the jaw.

Cue Joker's grouchiness for a ruined plan. _"No, no, no, no! You should be in a different universe!" _

"_Another universe?" _Robin repeated mockingly. Even from far off where Barry stood, he could see the boyish, almost cocky grin that spread across the little teen's face, like the miser Robin felt back at the cave didn't exist. _"I've been where all Robins go, __**Jokey-Poo**__—nesting!" _

"_But Zoomy __**saw**__ you go with that Flash-boy—" _Barry grimaced; _Kid_ Flash—_"And you were __**gone**__!" _

"_That punk? Richard Grayson? HAHAHA! Hate to break it to you, Jokey—" _Robin directed his hand into the crowd, and immediately Barry followed it. Kid Flash was in the middle of guarding and evacuating people through the debris past the collapsing library, and amidst the dust—though incredibly obscure, one Richard Grayson was helping alongside Barry's nephew. "—_I'm not Richard Grayson. Your head's screwed on just a __**little**__ too tightly!" _

At best people could see the eyes, the black hair, and the uniform, and automatically it'd register as Bruce Wayne's son. Barry had to admit, looking as Wally guided people out the crumbling building then to his partner-in-crime, that the older Robin—though with differences visible depending on their universal upbringing—passed well for Dick Grayson. Those around them still felt the high of watching the Dynamic Duo perform, so whether or not Gotham's 'Golden Boy' was in harm's way didn't matter.

Now, enter Joker's scream of protest. _"Noooooo_!"

Barry bit back a grin, arms crossed firmly over his chest with approval. Robin fended against Harley, kicking her square in the chest before throwing another batarang. It exploded and wrapped around her as a tight net, and at the same time Batman rammed his fist into Joker's jaw. The violent perp went flying—but unlike all of the other encounters Barry had heard of, Bruce had successfully captured Joker before any further damage could be done.

"_Flash. You and Kid Flash meet up in the back." _

"Roger that, Bats."

"_Wait, you're __**here?**__" _Er, right. Neither Robin nor Kid Flash had a clue that he'd been watching.

Barry grinned guiltily. "Flash, over and out. See you in a few, Kid."

He zipped into the alleyway, quickly morphing back into the Flash as they waited for the crime scene and the Arkham Asylum truck to come by and pick up the wackos. Flash leaned against the brick wall, far out of the view of nearby civilians, and waited. Ten minutes later, Robin landed near Barry's side into a perfect perch. A yellow blur finally zoomed by, 'Richard Grayson' in his arms, and less than a second after Wally slid the older Robin out of his arms, Barry had engulfed his nephew in a hug.

A tight clinch, with his heart beating so fast that it palpated, and he buried his head into the crook of Wally's neck. All the worry and concern he'd had before quickly reappeared and he took in the scent of food Wally had on him. The younger speedster had stumbled from sudden physical contact, and now had a glove pinching his bicep.

"Hey—Uncle—_Flash_—god, you're _coddling _me_—I SWEAR WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS._"

Flash chuckled softly and buried his face deeper into Wally. If it was one thing his nephew would never understand, it was that when Flashes hugged, they _hugged._ "You've been gone _three days_, Kid. Don't think you're off the hook for this one—you should have _called_!"

"Yeah? Well, I'm sorry that after getting warped into another universe, 'calling my mentor' wasn't my top priority." Ouch—stingy Kid.

Flash pulled away, slightly taken aback, and this time…he studied Wally. He looked to the redhead in surprise, noted the harsh glaze that coated his green eyes, and frowned. Wally's eyes hadn't automatically gone to either one of the Robins, either.

Speaking of the older Robin—or, 'Richard,' he'd cleared his throat and extended a hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Uh…" Flash looked between the older Robin, who looked amused and a bit uncomfortable, then to the younger Robin, who looked _incredibly_ uncomfortable and not in the least bit amused. He scratched his head and met the hand with his own. "Nice to meet you, too?"

Silence. Man, what was up with this crew?

Fortunately Bats chose that exact moment to swoop down from the rooftop, stern and strict as usual. He took one look to the youngest Robin—their Robin—nodding gently, then to the older Robin. Older Robin's jaw had tightened and stature stiffened.

"Good work, throwing Joker off your trail." Batman nodded swiftly again as their Robin tipped his head in dim acknowledgement, then turned to Wally. "As far as I'm concerned, you completed the mission precisely. Well done, Kid Flash."

This…wasn't his nephew. Wally looked up to him, red eyebrows furrowed behind his cowl, and smiled weakly. Nothing more than that, and he didn't even look over to the Robins. He stared at his own two feet.

"Kid," Barry grinned, leaning over until he was at the redhead's height. "You just got a compliment from _the Bat._ Good work!"

"As for you two," Bruce turned to the Robins, who had found their way toward each other and without noticing it, adopted the same pose. "We'll have to get Robin home. Then you and I—" Bruce lowered his gaze to their Robin. "—we'll have a long talk about the circumstances—"

"Don't be too hard on him." It got a reaction out of everyone. Both Robins had turned their heads in shock, looking to Wally from what he'd just said, and Barry blinked in surprise. Wally only looked to the ground. "Rob hadn't planned on telling me his secret-ID, Batman. Crap just…happened. So don't be hard on him."

Barry grimaced, and clearly their Robin had been rendered speechless. "Kid—"

"I'll…" Wally's voice muted and he turned his footing, too weak to smile. "I'll race you home."

"Wally—"

"Bye."

Barry blinked. And less than a second later, his nephew was already out of Gotham City.

**xxxxxx**

**Author's Note: **

I've got a bit of the TT!KFxRob story in my head, so I'm hoping you guys look out for that somewhere in the future. This clears some things up and opens a lot more confusion, eh? C': Reviews would be nice! And uh. I got a tumblr? It's on my profile; haven't decided what I'll do with it just yet. C':

_Preview: _


	17. Rush

**Rush.**

School on Tuesday wasn't so bad. In reality they missed the entire weekend plus Monday, which meant Wally was exempt from that stupid Gym Fitness Test he wasn't allowed to cheat on, and missed getting hit in the head by the jerk in his on-level English class (a fluke only because his stupid school required four years of English, otherwise he would have filled that void with an extra Physics class).

The plan according to Uncle Barry once they got home Monday night was that the Robins would do a quick debriefing to Batman before sending the taller, older Robin home, notify Red Tornado that they'd made it out of the other dimension back to theirs unharmed, and then meet up with the team Friday night for their next mission.

Well technically, Wally had a feeling that the League would do their 'Standard Procedure' bit and drag them off to the Batcave or the Watchtower to make sure neither of them had succumb to harm or radiation getting back. Uncle Barry was probably just dodging the subject—like, giving Wally his space until Wally'd reached an ultimatum. His uncle hadn't come knocking at the door just yet wondering what was going on in his nephew's mind, and was probably waiting for Wally to say the first word.

It'd been a long while, really, since Uncle Barry followed his every move and watched him like a hawk, but judging by how many times his uncle had checked up on him Monday night to see if Wally was awake, Uncle Barry wasn't going to pester him. He did look awful squirmy during breakfast, though.

And Mom and Dad were probably going to get on his case for not calling once he got home. Aunt Iris probably had a handle on them, but he was in no mood to see either one of his parents, either. Not the smothering of his mother, or the stern look from his father, then the, 'You could have done _so much_ better' lecture from his mother and his father's, 'your mother's right, listen to her' scolding glance that he _always_ seemed to get when he hung around him.

Besides, on average he only really hung out over there three times a week. No biggy, his mother would only be slightly moody.

The more Wally focused on his schoolwork, the easier it would be avoiding talking to Dick.

Should it be Dick, he mused to himself, or should it be Rob? Wally tapped his pencil idly, barely registering what his English teacher was writing on the board, and continued the debate in his head.

Central City High always felt so confining in contrast to Gotham Academy; small and mediocre because while they were a large city, they weren't necessarily as gargantuan as up north like Metropolis or Gotham. Hanging out with the bigshot shy guy Dick Grayson meant going through the school, then their giant auditorium that felt like it went on for miles.

From what Wally knew after picking up the brochure at the front office, Gotham Academy had one of the best science programs in the entire nation, compared to dorky Kansas. And hanging out with little Robin generally ended in an astrous disaster where the expression, "Go big or go home," was usually interpreted as, "Go freaking _gigantahugic _or go hack the motion sensors—like, _now_."

There were…_things_ about Robin, and things about Dick. Wally wasn't sure where they stood. As far as he knew, Dick Grayson had gone back to school as though nothing had happened, and Bruce Wayne had probably come up with a cover story to why he was gone for three days.

Funny, Wally snorted, and he copied all the junk on the board about rhetoric. They hadn't really talked since Wally's confession to Dick back with the Titans, and the times they did were strictly for the line of duty. But he still knew Dick Grayson's work schedule by freaking _heart. _

The thing about being a speedster was that there were some things you couldn't help but do fast. Talking was sometimes one of them. Thinking was definitely something that could screw a speedster over. Regarding this whole, "your powers are manifesting" declaration made by every one of the higher-ups, thinking _too_ fast was an awful problem.

Wally could push Dick to the back of his mind, but it could literally take only a minute for his brain to go through an entire day's worth of thinking, and then Dick would be right back where Wally started: in Wally's head and causing a crapload of moping and aching and teen angst and all that other depressing stuff.

Just like, you know, Wally trying to push his feelings for Robin in the back of his mind since the day they met.

At that analysis, the lead in his pencil snapped in two. Damn.

The sun outside the window suddenly felt way too bright for the morning and practically blinded in Wally's line of sight. He glanced back at the board, and in his bubbly teacher (at the beginning of the year, she was really hot—now, her hair was too blond, her butt wiggled like a worm in an apple and her lips looked like two salty gummy bears that'd been sitting in the sun too long) wrote in bubbly letters and was too freaking _bubbly. _

Honestly, what did a guy have to do to get a _brood_ going on?

Pi.

Uncle Barry told him that if he ever needed to forget about something (or, uh, avoid an awkward situation with a girl—_especially_ on the team), then recite the number in his head and calculate each divide. Then, do it backwards.

Maybe Spanish or German or something (Wally really only knew numbers in different languages; including Elfish), but Wally immediately zoned out shortly after Barry taught him to say, "_Eat my shorts_" in Vietnamese to use against Missy.

The whole Pi thing had worked for six months before horribly failing when Wally hit puberty. Then it was, "three-point-one-four-two—holy crap his smile's pretty—"

Well, supposedly. One would wonder if Rob noticed any of Wally's slipups. On boring days like this one he'd always analyze strenuously the extent he pushed his relationship with Robin. Not Dick Grayson—_Robin. _They…hugged a lot. And there were things that Wally purposely talked to Robin about that Roy and Barry hadn't a clue over. He freaking _held Rob's hand_ that night Robby had gotten strep throat, and when Wally had woken up, Robin was holding his hand, too.

And, what idiot actually went to a thirteen-year-old kid for _love _advice? Unless, you know, that kid's opinion seriously mattered?

Tracing back what had happened at the diner (something that felt like _ages_ ago), it was a big kick in the stomach when Robin told him he was unfit to be Kid Flash—well, really, a kick in the freaking _balls_ that by technicality, Rob hadn't apologized for, yet.

But spending so much time with Dick Grayson and the Titans, seeing how hesitant and unsure Dick looked (along with his already-hunch-before-confirmation that Dick equaled Rob), then…that universe's Rob, being so stubborn, so strong-willed, and in a roundabout way, _exactly_ like their Robby, he kinda just snapped.

At least this way Wally could pointedly admit that he went for it. Dating in the superhero community was incredibly hard, and for two superhero sidekicks it was kinda harder. Being a high schooler dating a middle schooler? Made a few heads turn, but doable. Being a guy liking a _guy_? Turned heads (especially somewhere as moderate as Kansas), but there was a reason why people called it a _private_ life.

But dating Robin? There was a better chance that Wally would get struck by lightning again.

Several factors kicked in. Ones that Wally'd spent two and a half years now, if he wanted to be a good boyfriend. Dating Rob meant dating the Batfamily, and getting interrogated by the _Dark Knight _would've definitely been worse than taking the president's daughter to prom_._ Rob…including the death of his parents (a sliver of information not many knew about the Boy Wonder), was incredibly focused in his line of work.

Supposedly being raised for five to six years in that environment kinda did that to a guy. Not only that, but _thirteen_, and…it scared Wally that he always forgot Rob's age, like he didn't care (because he really didn't), but if he were to forget, then that meant all boundaries would be lifted.

Besides, they couldn't date. Wally'd gotten over self-righteous, 'THOU ARETH A DUDE AND SOETH ISETH HE-ETH" when he was like fourteen—but learned quickly that just because you were open-minded didn't mean everyone else was, too. And though the crime in Gotham to Central City was incredibly incomparable, Wally had few doubts in his mind that sexuality in the northeast was as "REPENT, REPENT, REPENT" as where he lived. Aunt I and Uncle B were pretty cool with it.

Cooler than his parents.

The bell rang, and any speedster in the ten-yard radius would have a debate on how fast Wally had stuffed his books in his backpack. He made his way toward the door to get to his next hour before lunch, dodging and bobbing under the idiots to get to his physics class.

The thing about Rob-slash-Dick (god, it was going to be _ages_ until Wally could forget about him) was that from the start, Wally knew there was no point in liking Rob. That he was setting himself up for rejection. The thing about _Dick Grayson_? Hunch whether Dick Grayson equaled Robin had never mattered.

He didn't want Robin to be Dick, billionaire's [adopted] son and mathlete extraordinaire; he wanted Dick Grayson to be _Robin_, the coolest guy ever with the weird-but-sort-of-endearing cackle/snigger whom Wally trusted with his life and a bag of chips.

"Wally—"

"Bwuh?" The redhead turned around, eyes large in surprise—"Oof!"—and he tripped over the threshold getting into his physics class.

Linda Park's two tiny little feet fell into his line of sight. She backed up in surprise (and a bit of amusement, evidently) and hugged her text book to her chest.

"Hey beautiful," he offered halfheartedly. She was pretty. Like, totally pretty, but—black hair? And the fact the guy who just walked through the door had some sexy blue eyes? Not the combo Wally was really looking for right now.

In return, she rolled her eyes. She was really the type of person who looked adorable—and then opened her mouth and have a sharp tongue. Sort of like 'Missy. "There's a girl outside looking for you."

Girl? "Uh…"

"Yeah," Linda teased—and actually, she was kind of sweethearted too, helping him to his feet. Her eyes teemed with amusement. "Blond. Looks like a total brainiac, and for whatever reason, was looking for _you._ She's out in the courtyard."

"Really," Wally tested hesitantly. He arched an eyebrow, setting his textbook in the front desk and ran a hand through his hair. Evidently, that wasn't the right reaction for him to have.

Linda stared up to him (she was like, _super tiny_), eyes large with a reporter's eye before gesturing toward the door. "I _hope_ you don't suddenly have something against techies, Wally. You don't strike me as the type that would get offended if a girl was better at math than you."

"Linda?"

"Yeah?"

"You're totally not helping my brood." Wally ran a hand through his hair, refusing to look her in the face before setting his things on the table and navigating back through the halls. The courtyard was located on the other wing of the school through the math hall—and ten times smaller than the one at Gotham Academy.

Pushing through the doors, his eyes met with the too-bright sun with an adherent groan and immediately his eyes met with the tall figure that could have passed for a senior.

Her waistline was _unbelievably sexy_, full blond hair tied back in a messy bun and perky lips beaming in a smile, with a thick pair of glasses keenly covering her large and effervescent blue eyes. She looked like a 'techy' or a 'nerd,' just Linda had said, but that was totally Kara.

Wally looked to her carefully, heard her _snort_ in response to another senior, and blinked. Er, at least if you squinted, she sort of looked like Kara.

Fortunately she finally turned her head, eyes falling to Wally from her seat on the table. "Wally!"

Nerd-that-looked-like-Kara jumped off said table and sprinted across the courtyard, casually waving. Sweater vest, pleated skirt, and voluminous hair tied back. Um. "Kara…?"

A grin danced across her lips. "Do I look like someone else?"

"Ish." And then he matched her grin with a smile, pulling back to take in the sight of Supey's apparent cousin. "What are you doing here?"

"Hanging," she said shortly, hands on her hips. "I don't have classes today. Do you want to ditch?"

"Do I ever," Wally smiled courteously and—_thank God._ He wouldn't have been able to spend another second in this school.

"You won't get in trouble with Barry?" Barry. For a second the redhead forgot Supette worked alongside his uncle in the league.

Shaking his head, he made an effort to point up as the bell rang and gestured toward the open gate of the school. "Uncle Barry'll probably lecture me, but nothing big. He's kind of afraid of me right now."

And evidently, his hormones. Kara laughed audibly, pulling Wally considerably close with a hand on his waist as the students cleared out. Her eyes sparkled with amusement and—

"Whoa!"

—they were suddenly above the ground and climbing higher into the sky.

"We're flying," he said dumbly, and his eyes wandered around the stupid school, to the limitless number of clouds, and—wow, he really _could_ see his house from here. There were plenty of times Wally'd been on the bioship, or that one instant when he was first Kid Flash and Superman took him flying—then _Megan_, who grabbed him when he was falling down that volcano due to the whole Doctor Fate mess, but this was different. "Where do you plan on taking me?"

"Where do you want to go?"

To Gotham. To Gotham Academy. The Batcave. Dick. _Rob._ "China. I've always wanted to try an authentic eggroll."

Kara nodded in compliance and they took a route east, slow and steady.

Wally…couldn't get enough of her eyes. He wasn't artsy-fartsy, but the shade and hue felt absolutely perfect, and the effervescence was perfect for her personality. Mischievous, and…not Dick's. He swallowed hard as they fluttered somewhere across North Carolina, then looked away. "What brings you to Central City? Seriously."

"To get you, of course." She looked to him in amusement and laughed. "You could call it a date."

"If this is a date then I'm an awful escort," he teased back halfheartedly. Laughing, he gestured back to their method of travel.

"Pro-feminism." A sly smirk curled across her lips and she raised her head high. "Don't tell me you're against women's rights, Wally."

"Against Women's Rights? Aside from the fact I grew up having a crush on Wonder Woman, I would say I'm pretty pro." The redhead struggled for his own smile and leaned back against the chair.

Supette genuinely laughed—not Rob's laugh—and they made a descent in Hong Kong, where the moon had just risen. "I'm curious about you, actually."

"How so?" Conner now had someone to train him, and his cousin and Wally were digging up bits of information for Supey's origins. They, disregarding Wally's current troubles with a certain Boy Wonder, couldn't have been in a better place.

"I heard you got back from a mission yesterday." Kara guided them through the streets, passing merchants out late in the night and vendors waving around food. "Well, at least, that your simple, 'protect-the-citizen' mission turned into a 'survive-in-an-alternate-universe' problem."

"Er. Yeah." Wally dodged a look from some old Chinese woman who looked ready to karate chop his balls. "It was…"

"Complicated?" she grinned.

"You don't know the half of it."

"I hear the league is still trying to figure out the status of the mission." Supergirl arched an eyebrow. "You kept the citizen safe, but he was nearly killed by the Joker and Zoom."

"And confirmed I already know who Rob is." The redhead cringed, hands quickly stuffed in his pockets.

"You didn't already know?" Kara set her hands on her hips.

"I didn't have a hunch or a face to suspect until just recently," Wally confessed. "I'd go up to Gotham constantly and hang out with Rob when he was in his civvies, but never just as a civilian." And none of the boys he saw while hanging out with Dick Grayson screamed Rob.

"Funny. The times that we met up you two were just so familiar with each other I guess I assumed you already knew Richard Grayson was Robin."

Wally halted—then turned around, eyes wide with surprise. Kara laughed. They entered a park deserted of people for the night and settled contently on the bench.

"Bruce and Clark have been best friends for ages," she explained. "He's basically like a family friend."

Bruce. _Bruce. _"So Bruce Wayne is also Batman, too? Huh." Wally pushed his hands through his pockets, leaning forward and twiddling with his fingers. There had been that brief moment in the very beginning when Dick brought him up the Wayne-Tech building and he met eyes with a leering Bruce Wayne for the first time. "Yeah, I guess I could see that."

"Bruce took in a kid when he was seven years old and Clark dotes on Bruce as if they were brothers or something." Kara arched an eyebrow and crossed her arms, amusement and surprise directly spread across her demeanor. "If you knew who Batman was, it wasn't hard to figure out who Robin is. But...didn't you automatically assume that Bruce was Batman after the first hunch with Dick?"

"Well, I'm the partner to the Flash but that doesn't automatically make him my father. Even if he acts like it." Wally shrugged. There were…_times _where he appreciated Uncle Barry's doting more than his own parents (like, all the time) but he tried not putting too much thought in it. After all, he spent a two good years with a boycrush on _the_ Bruce Wayne when he was younger. Not that it was a story he was going to get into.

"Barry's got quite the reputation for being the most favored mentor in the Watchtower." Kara poked him in the knee. "Word has it that he's bringing up a good kid. He doesn't deny so, either."

Wally shrugged. "I think…I had the worst case of hero worship when it came to him when I was four. Now that he's actually my _uncle_, it's…funny. He's so, horrifically embarrassing sometimes." Like yesterday, when Uncle Barry basically tackled him in a hug in front of little Robin and big Dick Grayson.

"I think they're supposed to do that." She snickered. "Trust me. You've never felt embarrassment until Cla—Superman is trying to tug down your skirt and lecturing you saying, 'Kara, your midriff is showing.' Midriff! Who _says_ that anymore?"

"Evidently Superman. _Wow._" He stole a glance of her legs and they shared a fit of giggles.

It was only later, when Wally was gasping for air with a hand on his stomach that Kara leaned forward, eyes shimmering with obvious curiosity. "Does it not upset you then? Finding out that Robin was Richard Grayson this entire time? Young Justice's mission after all was to guard him at all costs."

Did no one really understand? "Finding out Robin's secret identity had never been a big deal to me." Tapping his hand on his knee, the redhead leaned back against his eat. "Robin is just _Robin. _I mean, what more is there to it? He doesn't have to _act_, everything he does—the way he _is_, it's all just instinct. He could be _Justin Bieber_ for all I care and I'd still like him."

Kara tilted her head and was…_examining_ him now. "You…really don't care?"

"It used to hurt when I was all open and stuff and Rob couldn't be." A lot. Wally remembered back to when Roy, Robin, and he went out on their first mission and then suck off to get ice cream afterward. Roy had been open, but Robin _couldn't. _He shrugged nonchalantly. "But then it occurred to me that Bats overall are really private. When…I became Kid Flash, it was like not only was I living a double life, but I became two different people. I'm myself when I'm Kid Flash. And I think Rob is the same way, too."

For a long time they said nothing. Wally could feel blue eyes boring into the side of his skull, and then heard her move.

"How much do you trust him?"

"Too much to _not_."

"Then what's _really_ bothering you?" The blond touched his arm, voice softening. "You shouldn't be in this big slump after a mission like that."

_Everything. _Wally groaned loudly and seethed. "I…let my feelings get in the way of my duty. This _stupid_ speed makes me think—_feel_ faster than everyone else around me, I might have ruined a mission to the extent my team could get disbanded and my best friend won't talk to me. He doesn't even want to _look_ at me unless it's for the mission."

"Why won't Robin—?"

"Because I'm in love with him. And yesterday he confirmed that he was just _too young_ to understand that." He remembered the day back near two months ago telling Dick that Rob couldn't be his brother.

Rob was his bro and his best friend, but _brother_ didn't describe what he felt because it was degrading. In his mind, age hadn't originally mattered when it came to Robin, but as a love interest—_the_ love interest—it was different Rob.

He may have seen nasty murders, rapes, and drug dealers nightly, but Robin was still a thirteen-year-old boy, who had too much on his plate to deal with his best friend's feelings. At least with Dick Grayson without the confirmation he was Robin, Wally would not have had to know Rob would choose his duty before his best friend's "antics."

In terms of his love life, Wally knew that it would have been easier if he was in love with a stranger than his best friend.

There was a lot that factored into Rob's reaction. Up until a few days ago Wally was sure that he could get into the mind of the crazy Birdboy, but the more he tried to be an optimist, the less he really trusted himself. And in one of those rare moments, Wally knew his speed was catching up to him.

It wasn't the metabolism or the constant hunger that caused his senses and nerves to whine and complain, but how his heart beat three times the normal rate of a human whenever Robin or Dick crossed his mind, and how just because the beat of his heart increased, the world around him wanted to go at his speed. Being a speedster _sucked_ when you were trying to deal with puberty.

An arm looped around his shoulders, hugging him tight against Kara's neck as she patted his knee gently. "It'll work out. Give him some time to process your feelings, and maybe…"

"Maybe I'm rushing and jumping to conclusions?"

"Just a little." She smiled pathetically, clearly unsure of what else to say, and crossed her arms. "So what do you _really_ think Bruce is going to do to you? For finding out his secret-ID and stuff?"

Wally grimaced slightly. If it wasn't the team's status that would be jeopardized, then the next thing to worry about was what would happen to Robin. "I don't know. Uncle Barry hasn't said a word, and…usually that's not a good thing."

"Ouch."

"Yeah. Ouch." Closing his eyes, the redhead bit the inside of his lip and pushed the thought of his mind in favor of a different matter. One that actually concerned her. "Hey, could I ask you something?"

"Go for it."

"You wanna come to my house for Thanksgiving?" Peeking from the corner of his eye, Wally tried to smile and fiddled with his fingers. "Conner's going to be there so that he can try out being…_Conner_, and well, you're like a big sister to him."

"Yeah." Her eyes gleamed with surprise. "I'd love to! Do you have enough room for me? Us?"

"Jay and Uncle Barry will be there, too. Trust me, there's going to be a _lot_ of food." Thanksgiving was always one of his favorite holidays with his family. His mother would tone it down, take the compliments given by other family members about her son, father would actually smile, and his aunt let him cook his Super Deluxe mega Burgers. "Every year they have a race across the nation-slash-scavenger hunt. Winner gets first dibs on turkey."

In return, Kara tossed her head back with a laugh. "Perfect."

"Cool." Very cool. And at least this way if Kara were to tag along, he'd get his mind off of Rob.

**xxxxx**

Wally did very few things that gave him a lapse of character. Usually Barry gave his nephew the benefit of the doubt if there was something bothering the other speedster because Wally rarely did anything wrong. Sure, the whole Cadmus thing had been outright disobedience, but it was done with what Barry liked to call, "_really honestly good_ intentions," and although he could have died, Wally—well, didn't. His nephew was _somewhat_ the sulking type as much as he wasn't, and it was a benefit from knowing one another so well.

Batman and Robin were subordinates. Aquaman and Aqualad were King and Subject, Green Arrow and Speedy-plus-Artemis somehow had a brother-sister feel to it (though very few people considered Ollie the responsible figure), and Supes and Supey didn't really _have_ a relationship. No freaky, adopt-a-kid, or, take-on-an-apprentice-from-my-people, or cloning. Clear as day, Wally and he were uncle and nephew by marriage—one of the _only_ normal things about Barry's life.

And that wasn't necessarily a _bad_ thing. Being the uncle and not the father meant he could get away with spoiling Wally (whom by technicality wasn't his son, but that fact was often overlooked), but given Wally's parents lived all the way in Blue Valley, Barry hadn't any other choice but to get on Wally's case.

_Especially_ considering the other speedster was beginning a descent in their backyard with Supergirl, smiles exchanged between the both of them.

Barry was always first to get to the office and last to leave, but this being his day off, he remembered _very accurately_ that his nephew had been sulking when he left. Now that Wally was fifteen he tried to give the teenager as much space as needed for him to figure things out (and there was a difference between Wally liking guys and—er—Wally liking _a_ guy; Barry was still trying to get used to it), but again, the school had called two hours ago wondering where Wally West was.

And Kara was a good kid (maybe a little too old for his nephew), but Barry had no choice other than grounding Wally. Er. Even if he _did_ look miserable.

He sat casually at the kitchen table, pretending to read up something on his laptop and occasionally stealing a glance from Wally, who looked ten times happier as he sped across their large backyard and gave Supergirl a tour. Finally the door opened with Wally's back against the wall as he waved her off.

"See you later then, Supette!"

A muffled bye from outside until finally, Kara had waved goodbye and taken into the sky with a various obvious smile. Looking up from his little netbook, Barry caught glimpse of his nephew with a slightly better smile before the redhead spun into the kitchen and ripped open the fridge.

"What's for dinner?"

"Pierogies." Okay, now to get to the point. "Why did you skip school today?" Well, Barry had a feeling he knew _why_—or at least, up until Supergirl was the one dropping him off straight back at his house.

Though it didn't look like much to the human eye, Barry knew Wally had taken a speedster freeze before awfully trying to avoid the subject by pulling out the tuna salad and the bread. "I—uh. Solo mission?"

"You showed up with Kara, Kid."

"There's nothing wrong with Kara."

"There's something wrong when my fifteen-year-old nephew comes home after hanging out with an older woman who—_is not _Black Canary and doesn't call about it." Barry's eyebrows knit together and he frowned.

Yelling at Wally had never been a fun game but there was no choice other than the Guardian card. Not only had Wally nearly died due to his first encounter with the Joker, but his powers had manifested recklessly, he'd gotten tossed into a different universe where apparently Robin didn't make up his own words. That by definition was the epitome of strangeness.

"Nothing happened! I swear!" Immediately Wally's cheeks flamed pink, which was generally a good sign when he started getting horrified. The poor teen scratched his head and twitched horribly under the scrutiny of his uncle. "She was…just helping me…get over some…stuff."

Er, right. Stuff. Any previous lecture Barry had planned in his mind disappeared and he looked to Wally, concern storming across his features with a light frown. Sigh escaping his lips, the elder speedster thought of everything that used to comfort Wally when he was younger. "Do you…wanna take a run?"

Green glistened with all the unwelcomed aura they could conjure as the teen looked at him, lips turned into a frown.

Yikes. "We don't have to talk. Not until you're ready, Kid." Barry reached over, moving to touch Wally by the head—paused—then landed on the teenager's shoulder. When had Wally gotten so tall? Apparently when he wasn't looking. "We've…got a lot of errands to run, anyway."

Including visiting Rudy and Mary West, who were just anticipating killing Wally over this. Fortunately Wally sensed the direction of his words, sigh escaping his lips as he zipped up the stairs at super speed (which probably should have a rule against it after Wally and his infamous game of speedster hacky sacking in the hallway) to get his uniform.

_Ooh boy._ Barry smiled nervously to himself as he turned off the stove and waited the expected five long minutes for Wally to put his uniform on. This was going to be a long, _long _run.

Five minutes later, Wally stumbled down the stairs at a snail's pace, Kid Flash uniform dawned and—

"Where are your goggles?" Flash scratched his head and looked at Wally from head-to-toe with a slight cringe. Judging from the almost-square movements from Wally, he was going through another growth spurt.

"My—huh." Wally reached over to push the bangs out of his face, which were usually out of view because of said goggles. Suddenly Kid Flash grimaced and he crossed his arms over his torso. "I…gave them to Ro—Di—_him_ right before he got kidnapped by the Joker. And then after that we kinda got transported to a different dimension so I _kinda _couldn't keep track of them."

"Hm." The goggles were specifically designed so that when his nephew was going at 450mph, a bug wouldn't tear through his eye and damage his brain. That kind of velocity was kind of violent—even if at Flash standards it was moderate. Oh well. "Race ya."

_Zip!_

Rubber met concrete with each violent thud as the Scarlet Speedster made his way around the labyrinths of urban Central City, going about the houses and waving occasionally to the neighbors as they waved back, overly excited. He zipped through the streets, intending fully for his nephew to follow him if not for the excitement for a race, then to follow along him and satiate Barry's desire to cheer him up.

Looking over his shoulder, Barry noted that he was six blocks away from their starting point and counting, and immediately the yellow blur to compliment his red followed the trail behind him. At first glance, the teen looked uncertain of running through Central City. At second, his lips contorted into a sweet smile, suddenly more confident with each step. More relieved. _Good. _

Flash grinned, coming to a halt at the park. Kid Flash soon came after him at the same, steady pace, and to Flash's surprise, rather than decelerating, Wally stopped abruptly in his path. The redhead stumbled one or two steps, but quickly Barry held his arms out to catch the teen.

"I didn't know you could do that," Barry grinned. Wally should still be at the point where he had to have a good "running start" or slowly decline in his running. Granted Wally was a fast learner (what took a week for Barry to realize acceleration and deceleration took Wally a day), but his progress was phenomenal.

"Kid Flash taught me. Er, the _other_ Kid Flash." Wally looked up to him, evidently stricken by the compliment before pulling away, small smile on his face. "Thanks."

The other Kid Flash from Earth-TT. Flash smiled broadly before plopping onto a park bench and petting the space beside him. "What else did he teach you?"

Wally gave him one of his looks, the one that read, _Am-I-Seriously-Doing-This-Again?_ before sitting next to his uncle and leaning back. "He noticed whenever I ran I had to do it carefully and said to imagine a stopping point, then imagine myself _stopping _and trying to propel myself as a counter force."

"My nephew, the scientist."

"According to him, he's been doing this since he was eleven." Wally fiddled with the slick material of his uniform and shrugged. "He liked the idea of keeping snacks in my cuffs."

"That's because your body metabolizes things differently," Barry chided.

"Yeah. Erm. I…" Wally sunk further in his seat and suddenly color was blooming in his cheeks. "I…also kind of…_kissed_ the other Robin."

Um. "Oh."

"Yeah."

"The…"

"Older Robin. _Ahem._" Wally crossed his legs, clutching his ankles like a little kid as he rocked back and forth in his seat, looking anywhere but Barry's face. "Do you…want the _whole_ story or would you rather I skip the details?"

"Well," Barry hadn't ever been asked this question. Brief flashbacks of teaching Wally the birds and the bees was when Wally was still in the, 'girls have cooties!' phase. Needless to say, that was a short-lived declaration and hadn't been nearly this awkward. "Kid, I just…I want you to be comfortable, alright? If you already talked about it with Supergirl, then—"

"I like Robin. I like him so much that I can't even _remember_ the point where I didn't like him, and I—I used to talk about him all the time and you and Aunt I thought it was weird and it took me forever but when I remembered that I was an eighth grader and he was just starting _middle school _and even though I don't treat him like he's my little brother he's still incredibly young and—" Wally took a deep breath and leaned back so that the back heels of his boots were touching the ground. "—and so I decided not to act on it even though he knew I was bi and _seriously_ I thought I dropped enough hints that could be interpreted like three thousand ways and I try _forgetting _about him and sometimes it _works _like with Megan or like Dick Grayson and Dick _acts_ like Robin and I thought—maybe—I-I could fall for him because at least that way even if Dick rejected me, I didn't have to see his face every day or trust him on missions or end up spouting out my feelings on a platter and have to see him the next day and then he got so much _like _Robin some days that I was falling in love with both of them _all over again_ and then, there was—was _Robin_, the _other_ Rob, and he'd gotten so serious and so cold and I made fun of him and we sat on top of a giant 'T' and got so freaking caught up in the _moment_, and—I—"

Barry blinked, and Wally fiddled with his hands, head ducked miserably against his chest.

"Wh-When we kissed…I-I…seriously thought I had a chance with Rob. _Our_ Rob." Green eyes fluttered closed, Wally's breath becoming ragged as his fingers trembled against one another. "I really, _really_ did."

Aw. "Kid…"

"Supette told me to give him time to figure these things out." Wally looked up, eyes shining like a puppy who'd been kicked too many times in the leg. "_That's _what we were talking about all the way in China, and…I dunno, Uncle B, it's just—I—" A grimace fell across his lips as his hands fumbled with his ankles, and he hunched his shoulders. "So…_much_ stuff has happened, you know? I mean, I _explode_, I look like I'm too incompetent to figure out whom my best friend is, I can't even vibrate through a damn _wall_, he gets kidnapped, he _leaves my line of sight_, he—he thinks I'm incompetent. And after what I said, I think I'm incompetent, too."

And _that_ would be what Barry feared, when he told his nephew that his powers were manifesting. He frowned slightly—knowing just like anyone else that Wally was overanalyzing something that happened less than a _day_ ago, but also knowing Wally must have spent at least an _eternity _trying to rationalize Robin's reactions before coming up with one conclusion only.

"We sat there," Wally explained quietly, "after returning from a mission to retrieve xenothium. And by the time Batman had assigned us the mission to protect 'Richard Grayson,' I was 98% sure that Robin and Dick were the same person. It was—why I _knew_ Dick would be okay if I left him alone—especially after he ran off to talk to the other Robin. And when I kissed the other Robin, he _told_ me that he was in love with the other me. That he wanted _so badly_ to be with the other Kid Flash and just—just _couldn't._

"And after such a close call that he almost faced _death_, I couldn't keep it a secret anymore that I always had a feeling that he was Rob. And it just…felt _right_ to tell him I liked him. Then he said nothing, and, I—he…told me to get out of his room and." Wally sighed with defeat. "Yeah."

"Ouch."

"Yeah. _Ouch._" Wally lifted an eyelid and looked to his uncle hesitantly. "Uncle—Flash? I…I _really _don't want to go to Gotham and get checked out by Batman. Not if that means seeing Rob right now. Please?"

Er, what? "Who said anything about going to Gotham, Kid?" Flash stood from the bench and scratched at one of the lightning bolts against his ear. "I was talking about going up to Blue Valley and visiting your parents."

"I don't want to do _that_, either."

"Pick your poison." Mary and Rudy weren't the _typical _parents—if anything, Wally got most of his little tendencies from Barry or Iris, but that was beside the point. However, the way the redhead slumped and how miserable he sounded just talking about his best friend, Barry had no doubt.

Robin _decimated_ Wally's confidence.

Yellow boots hit the ground, and Kid Flash was silent as he stood up. A frown surfaced across his lips, and _slowly_, he turned around. "Race you."

Flash stood to his feet the moment Wally left and noted the trajectory his nephew had taken: all the way up north. Damn.

"Now you _know_ things are bad," he commented to himself as he followed the trail, "when the Kid picks visiting his parents over his best friend."

**xxxxxx**

**Author's Note: **

Taking break next week to catch up on my writing. Expect not having an update. Peace out.

_Next Chapter: Conner, Kaldur, and Megan finally make a reappearance. _


	18. Rejection

**Rejection. **

Fridays at HQ were normally the busiest, most hectic days in their schedule. Artemis, Robin, and Wally were all relieved from school (the former two coming earlier than the latter), and with just the first pair Artemis and Robin led to sparring on the platform. Generally Robin was more collected before Wally arrived, and by then the pair brought the worst out of one another.

Conner (he liked the way the name sounded in his head) rationalized there were two ways this particular Friday would play out, taking all the facts he knew into consideration. Last Friday, "Richard Grayson" had taken the place of Robin, who was "out on a mission," according to Batman. Robin and Kid Flash had gotten into a fight that neither participants (especially after Conner confirmed who Richard Grayson _really_ was) wanted to speak about, then "Richard" and Kid Flash ran out on them to eat ice cream.

Normally Conner and M'gann saw no sign or hair of the pair until the weekends, but once they got together they spoke like they'd just seen each other the other day. Batman and Aqualad informed them that "Richard Grayson" and Kid Flash had gotten back from their cross-dimensional travel, but until the week was over, they didn't know the consequences.

As usual, Kaldur was the first to arrive. Unlike the others, his steps were more precise and warily heavy. M'gann's were light and lackadaisical as Artemis's were pungent and thorough, while Wally's generally thumped with trainers hitting the ground and Robin being too sneaky to feel.

Kaldur took one look at them, with Conner on the couch and M'gann figuring out how to "pop" the popcorn, smiled, and courteously waved. "Have the others arrived yet?"

"Nope! You're pretty early, actually." M'gann smiled brightly, floating across the room with the folded bag of unpopped popcorn. "I can't _wait_! Wally's finally back, and we didn't get to hear from Robin at _all_ last weekend. One party should be good…right? Red Tornado said it was okay, and, and I made all of Wally's favorite dishes…"

"Hopefully they have worked out their differences," Kaldur agreed. His lips curtsied into a small smile, arms folded carefully over his torso before touching his knee into the couch and gesturing to Conner. "May I sit here?"

"Of course." Conner moved to the side with a gentle smile of his own and—Kaldur's own smile widened slightly at the gesture. His chest fluttered with ongoing relief.

"Artemis said that she wouldn't be able to make it early. They've got play stuff going on over at the school and she's helping with set design." Megan smiled apologetically before floating over of them with a bag of non-inflated balloons. "Do you think you could blow up the balloons?"

"You are really going all-out for this, aren't you?" A chuckle escaped Kaldur's lips, clearly amused.

Conner took one look at the pile of flat balloons, eyebrows furrowed with confusion. He stretched the tiny material in his hand and almost immediately the elastic snapped in half.

"Wally had…" Megan's eyebrows furrowed and she set the packs of unpopped popcorn down next to the bowls. Crossing her arms, she bit the inside of her lip and shrugged with worry. "He left in a hurry, remember? And took Mister Grayson with him and was really in a bad mood over the fight. I-I read his mind—not because I _meant_ to, but Robin really did frustrate him."

"Coincidental, isn't it?" Kaldur mused, and his lips curtsied gently into a different smile as he pulled out a bright red balloon and gestured to it with his hand. He stretched the shaft carefully and opened the spandex hole. "The week Wally is gone with Richard Grayson, so is Robin."

He didn't know the half of it, Conner thought to himself wryly. He copied Kaldur's gestures, carefully grabbing a blue balloon and dangling it between his fingers. Robin was with no doubt one of the best fighters they had on the team; able to tackle long-ranged, short-ranged, mid-ranged; able to _hack_, was a master tactician and at times one of the most rational members of the group. However, it'd been Kara who'd explained conception to him—_"Just because you have an idea about it doesn't mean you automatically know how to use it." _

True he wasn't knowledgeable of most things as Wally, Robin, or Artemis were, but when it came to the former two, all you needed was a keen eye. Right after the accident the speedster always described as, 'almost exploding,' when he was in that small coma, Robin had doted on him through a camera, and nowadays always second-glanced Wally whenever they were in the same room.

Wally was always more excited than anyone else, whenever Robin entered the room, and although Robin spent a good amount of time smirking, he really only grinned like a child in the presence of Wally.

"Maybe it was the height, but he really reminded me of Robin. Mister Grayson, I mean." Megan beamed bashfully and pulled the oven open telekinetically. "You think that he has any interesting stories? Er, Wally this time. I mean Wally."

"I wonder," Kaldur agreed. "The league had deduced Kid Flash landed in an alternate universe, after all."

She hummed with delight, clasping her hands together and levitating a bag of icing to her side. "I wonder if there's an alternate us over there. You know, like…our team, and stuff? They…were gone pretty long, and Batman had said they were waiting for the _other_ team…the…Teen Titans, was it?"

Conner shrugged. Wally normally visited them as he pleased throughout the week so long as he was back before dinner, but hadn't come in contact with them since his return, and although Conner had only been there a few times, Gotham City wasn't a place to mess around. Fiddling with another balloon, he put it against his mouth and blew.

_BOP! _Too hard. It exploded a second later, from too much air.

"Ouch," Megan squeaked, hands flying to her ears. She smiled sheepishly and slowly levitated a blue balloon to her finger tips. "Uh, do you know how to blow these up, Kaldur?"

"Not…particularly." Red fluttered across Kaldur's cheeks, embarrassment visible across his features. "I am more accustomed to…water balloons, I suppose."

"**Recognized, B01: Robin." **

The main computer chirped, notifying the entire cave of their youngest team member's arrival, and only a moment later, Robin appeared through the door, stern expression invented across his face and eyes shielded by shades. They all watched in surprise and interest, as he halted mid-step getting into the den and saw the large banner above the wall to the kitchen that clearly read, '_Welcome Back, Wally!' _

"Robin!" M'gann made the effort of soaring out the kitchen and tackling Robin into a hug. He didn't hug her back.

Suddenly it was as though the atmosphere shifted again. Conner immediately frowned, warily looking to the smallest teen as Robin frowned back.

"What's…" he started slowly, making tiny steps toward the kitchen to look at the entrée. "Going on?"

"We're throwing a Welcome Back party for Wally!" M'gann chirped. Suddenly she wilted, concern fluttering to her voice. "I…If that's okay, and all. Are you okay with it? I mean, Artemis said that you guys had gotten into a pretty big fight, a-and—"

"There were sightings of Kid Flash in Gotham earlier this week, upon his return." Kaldur arched an eyebrow suspiciously as Robin grabbed the bag of unblown balloons on the couch. "You two have put this fight behind you…yes?"

All the while Conner was the only gaze Robin would meet, lips tight in a frown and shades veiling more than just his eyes. "It's…complicated."

"Robin." Kaldur stood to his feet and strove for the same authority and pose he'd had the day Wally was confronted, too. Conner watched curiously as their leader's demeanor twisted warily the same way it'd been the day their speedster came to the cave with Richard Grayson before leaving. "Whatever is going on between you and Wally, you must figure it out—_immediately_ before Batman arrives with our new mission. Do I make myself clear?"

If X-Ray vision actually worked on lead-laced sunglasses (and if Conner actually could control X-Ray vision), he had no doubt he would have seen Richard Grayson's face gleaming with vehemence and a scowl that he skillfully masked under his demeanor. Robin wasn't easy to read. But when Wally wasn't constantly by his side, he became this slightly-distraught teenager that didn't know how to handle things. Right now that pubescent jaw tightened, stiff smile spread across his face and arms sprawled over his chest.

"Gotcha, boss." The corner of the Boy Wonder's mouth twitched and he tilted his head to the side. "No biggie."

Kaldur remained in stature, not at all showing whether or not he was irritated by the words hidden under that tone.

Conner looked to the corner of his eye, quickly acknowledging the nervousness that fluttered over M'gann's features as well. It wasn't like Robin to get upset. Wally was as vocal as the next person, when it came to his emotions every thirty seconds, but was always audible in just the way he appeared. Robin, however, remained good-natured and tactless, if the situation called for it.

"If…you don't mind me asking, what's the problem about?" M'gann eyebrows furrowed and she pulled away from the hug, hands still secure on his shoulders. "You and Wally are—"

"We're fine. It'll all be worked out. Don't worry. _No big_, promise." This time the smile spread wider, and although they all knew it was forced, it was obvious the smallest teen didn't want anyone interrogating him over the problem. Robin looked paler, to some extent, but he looked like he hadn't eaten less since the last time they saw him. His body language was a different story, stiff and near-robotic as he put a reassuring hand on M'gann's shoulder. "Do you need help blowing up the balloons?"

Though concerned, M'gann's face lit up immediately and she levitated the bag of balloons to Robin's hands. A squeal of delight left her lips. "You're the best! Kaldur, can you help me…toss the salad in the kitchen? Or uh, cut up the sushi…?"

The disapproval was still visible in Kaldur's frown, but Conner quickly negated it. He shrugged nonchalantly to their leader, nudging his head in the direction of the kitchen and hoped it was enough to reassure the Atlantean that Robin would be okay.

Once the gap was there, with Kaldur in the kitchen helping M'gann with the sushi, Robin flipped onto the couch and pulled out a bright green balloon. He stretched it between his fingers and sank far into the couch cushions. "Hey."

"You should have made up with Wally." Sometimes it was a good thing most people assumed he lacked common sense. He hated it, of course, when people underestimated him, but it was times like this where it worked to his advantage. Conner reached over and grabbed a balloon. "How do you blow this up?"

"You…" The smaller teen's hands tightened over the elastic and he tensed. "Blow. Gently, into the hole."

"Is it a different problem?"

"Stretch the elastic out, Supey."

"Robin."

"Con." The sheen from Robin's sunglasses slightly blinded the metaclone, emotions as good as void. But to any normal person, they wouldn't have picked up the small ounce of strain in Robin's voice, like he was trying to block everything out. "Later, alright?"

Conner looked to the smaller teen hesitantly and scanned his vitals, hearing the faintness in his heartbeat, and the stumble in his voice. Reluctantly he relinquished any questions and watched as Robin carefully placed the balloon between his teeth and carefully blew, before doing the same thing to his own.

Bright red and yellow balloons soon littered the floor in massive heaps, and the scent of semi-burnt ice cream cake permeated through the entire cave. The four of them worked in silence (Conner had a feeling M'gann and Kaldur were speaking telepathically) and Robin hadn't looked at any of them in the eye. For the next half hour they simply worked until both the living room and kitchen were flooded with balloons and the different aromas of food spread throughout the cave.

"**Recognized, B03: Kid Flash." **

The balloon in Robin's grasp suddenly slipped away, flying through the air recklessly with an obnoxious sound until it landed behind the TV. Conner blinked—and Robin turned an indispensible hue of red, cheeks blooming with bright heat as he dragged himself to his feet. "Sorry."

Only seconds later, the intercom sounded, resonating through the cave in an echo before Black Canary's voice broke through. _"Report to conference room for debriefing of the mission immediately." _

Conner took one last look to the other teenager, frown playing across his face. Once M'gann and Kaldur were out the door, he spoke. "It's 'later.'"

"He likes _Dick Grayson."_

Dick Grayson. Conner blinked, staring at the other teenager in confusion as Robin distanced himself by two feet, unable to look the metaclone in the eye. Suddenly the tension, the clinginess, the way Robin had been acting strange for what felt like _ages_ now made sense. Conner crossed his arms, eyes narrowed and brow arched. "You're Wally's other dick."

Another twitch appeared at the corner of his teammate's lip, and he ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah."

Conner wasn't someone who forgot things easily.

Wally had been mentioning '_Dick_,'for months now in private conversations, and the moment 'Dick Grayson' was mentioned, it was as if the redhead went weak in the knees. He'd made it a point that he wanted to protect 'Richard Grayson,' and the night that Richard had been kidnapped—

Well, he didn't want to relive that particular situation. Blue eyes narrowed to the shades in front of them, and he waited. "Talk."

"You saw him take _me_ out of the warehouse, when Zoom and Joker kidnapped me." Robin shoved his hands in his sweatshirt, kicking away balloons and accidentally causing one to pop. Both teammates cringed and ignored it. Hands balling into fists, Robin dug them deeper in his jacket and the other teen could almost hear their smallest member's chest tighten. "Stuff…happened, Supey. Con. Ha…haha. Wally…he knows, too."

_Knows._ Conner tilted his head slightly and looked to Robin. Knew, what? "How long has this been going on?_ What's_…been going on?"

Robin bit his lip slightly and shuffled his feet beneath him. A moment later he was glaring, and Conner realized there was more frustration on this than originally let on. "I've been…trying to do things that I shouldn't, and…found out things I shouldn't have. Wished, that I hadn't. A…lot of stuff. Stuff that I can't talk to Br—Batman about because I don't get it myself, and I can't…look Wally in the eye, anymore."

Conner frowned. Just a few days ago it'd been _Artemis_ who told them Robin and Wally had gotten into a quarrel about something. Now, Robin's cheeks were stained red, expression sour and frustration radiating from him, but it wasn't about the fight. Richard Grayson was near-stoic, when Conner first met him. That day in the presence of Wally, 'Richard' had seemed hesitant and reluctant to trust the redhead, but…_this_ was on an entire different scale.

"Sorry," Robin muttered, and he scratched his elbow. A sigh of frustration left his lips and he pushed the hair out of his face. "I…I lost myself for a second there…sorry. That won't…happen again—oof!"

Cadmus had taught him plenty about calculations, shown him images of the moon, the sun, programmed the taste of a hotdog into his taste buds, but it was only when he got onto the team that hugging was a necessity. Conner reiterated this point, unsure of what else to say at this point as he pulled the Boy Wonder in his embrace and held him tightly.

Robin looked confused and distraught. When someone was confused and distraught, according to Wally, you _hugged_ them.

"Er," stammered the shorter teen, "C-Conner—" He heaved a sigh, and Conner took the way tiny arms wrapped around his torso as a good sign. "Thanks. I…needed that."

"Welcome," chirped the larger teenager. Conner pulled away at the last moment, noticed the red that fluttered across Robin's nose once more, followed by the way his eyebrows knitted together with worry. The taller teen shifted awkwardly, moving an arm as he tried to drape it over his friend's shoulder the way Kara did to him, when he couldn't get his powers under control. "You're…going to have to talk to him eventually."

"_Hah. _Before tonight's mission." Robin shifted slightly until he was buried in his own warmth, chin digging into his neck and lips stretched into a scowl. "Batman's…got stuff planned. Kaldur wants me to act like a teammate, Meg's pretty close to just reading my mind to figure out what's wrong, and Artemis—'Missy's going to crack jokes. She'll be blunter than all of them combined."

Funny. Conner decided it would be a good idea not to mention it sounded like something Wally would say. Finally another thought crossed his mind and he crossed his arms. "Why did you wait until both M'gann and Kaldur were out of room?"

In that instance, Robin stared at him with a small frown gracing his lips before tilting his head to the side. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Because I'm…me." A five-month-old clone of Superman, alias Clark Kent, who still wouldn't look him in the eye for more than two seconds when they were in the same room. The clone of someone who was supposedly the Last Son of Krypton, put his faith in Batman and his cousin Kara, and one that was willing to admit he wasn't emotionally adjusted.

"_So_?" More Wally-like behavior. Then again most of the team agreed Robin and Wally shared one brain. The Boy Wonder looked to him incredulously, and a small, weak smile struggled across his lips. "Kaldur would try to do what he thinks is best as leader. Megan would try to make everyone _happy_, and you—you're blunt. I forget, sometimes, that you're a clone, and that's a good thing."

Oh. "Thanks."

"_Superboy. Robin. Report to the __**conference room**__, immediately." _

They looked to the intercom hanging high above their heads, and as Robin turned to move away, Conner caught his wrist and squeezed it tightly. "I used to think you were a robot."

Robin paused. "You're serious."

"You acted like one half the time." The taller teen arched an eyebrow, not at all embarrassed by his confession. "_I'm_ a clone fed the personality and intelligence from Cadmus—and we've seen already that Batman has the technology to do the same thing."

The Boy Wonder stared at him, mouth slightly ajar.

"Trust me," Conner reiterated, and he smiled reassuringly. "The fact that you're having trouble emotionally with Wally, that's…a good thing. You care for him."

Pink dusted Robin's cheeks a moment later, and his hand twitched. The shorter teenager turned around, ducking his head between his shoulders and stumbled awkwardly out the door. Letting out a quiet chuckle, Conner beamed, and followed the other teen down the hallway.

Yeah. Being Conner was kind of cool.

The others were there to meet them in the center of the blue platform. Conner took one look to Robin—to how reserved he suddenly put himself with the pink across his cheeks suddenly gone, and then Wally, who stood with a quiet smile and arm wrapped delicately around M'gann's waist as she hugged him.

Batman stood by the holograms, and pulled up were pictures and data that Conner'd never seen before. Robin—an older Robin with green instead of black, much taller, standing stiffer, and looked like the leader of…whatever team he led. Behind him was a little green imp, an android-type, an orange young woman, and someone who looked similar to a sorceress.

M'gann gasped. "Are they…the alternate _us_?"

"They're the Teen Titans." Wally smiled slightly, placing a hand on his hip before slinking quietly away from M'gann's grasp. No one else would have noticed the way his small smile cracked into a slight, amused grin as he zipped up next to Batman to point to the pictures. "The Robin there's the leader, but we're…not all there. I mean, I saw myself, and he said there was a Speedy and an Aqualad, but er, that's it. We were a little more concerned getting us home."

"'Us'?" Kaldur arched an eyebrow.

"Ro—_Richard_ and I. The Robin over there was a lot of help." Wally's eyes wandered everywhere but his best friend's face. His fingers tickled the back hedges of his hair, and much like Robin had been doing earlier, he wouldn't look any of them in the eye. "Needed to smile more, like…_our_ Robin, but…he was cool."

A small smile decorated Black Canary's face, one of disciplined approval as Batman appeared undeterred. She put a hand out and ruffled his hair. "You've certainly become your own person these past few months, now haven't you?"

"Y-Yeah? Well…" Wally twitched, and he still hadn't looked Robin in the eye or even turn his head for approval. "Richard kinda…er. Did that."

"You took him out for ice cream before, uh, everything." M'gann tucked her hands away and smiled shyly. "You must like him a lot."

Now, it was obvious. Conner watched carefully as Wally's green orbs shifted, visibly focusing onto the shortest teenager, who stiffened upon acknowledgement. From where he stood, the meta could actually see Wally's throat tighten, mouth slightly ajar as he hyper-blinked, and nodded.

"He's got as much influence on me as—_ahem_—Rob does." A sense of awkwardness passed through the redhead as he rubbed his arm, and suddenly stood taller next to Megan before fluttering to Conner's left; opposite of his best friend.

Batman frowned sternly. "Flash tells me that you ran all the way to China with Supergirl."

_What_? "You went to China with Kara?" Conner ducked his head and looked down to Wally with a frown.

Wally shifted awkwardly between his feet. "I came _back. _And," he looked over to Conner, eyes faintly twinkling as he shrugged. "She's coming to Thanksgiving with us."

For a moment, Conner could feel as Robin stood tense as a statue on his other side, and pushed the realization to the back of his mind. Instead, he soaked the information in, blinking, and a small smile spread across his lips. Kara was going to be there, when he walked around not as _Superboy_, but as…_Conner._ "You convinced her?"

The redhead snorted in return, amusement twinkling in his eyes. "She practically volunteered."

Wow. He silently thanked the speedster, lips curling into a quiet smile as Batman cleared his throat, pulling them away from any conversation.

"Don't," Batman scowled, "let it happen again. Your powers are still developing and we've got no clue what bodily harm could be done to you, if not treated carefully."

"It's not like I ran—she _flew _me, Batman." Wally blinked, and in an instance his hesitation and platform of calmness disappeared with a frown. His eyebrows knit together and a frown graced his lips. "And even if I did run, my arm's not broken anymore. You can't make me stop running."

"We might have to, if not detain you. Until this is sorted out, you are _not_ to run past the speed of sound. Understood?" Batman's jaw tightened. "Especially after the latest test results."

Silence. A sour look passed through their speedster's demeanor as he balled his fists, until they were crossed and he nodded in acknowledgment. "Fine."

Robin had twitched, unable to restrain himself before looking across Conner's figure to his best friend. Conner looked to the shortest teen from the corner of his eye, followed by the rest of their teammates who looked as confused as the Boy Wonder. Wally was keeping secrets.

The Caped Crusader trudged on regardless, pulling up a new screen on the projector and revealing something that looked similar to an access point.

"That is…" Kaldur's eyes doubled in size. "Poseidonis?"

"We've had another breach on our zeta-beam teleporters." Batman looked to his protégé and the screen changed to schematics. "This is a blueprint of the design for the teleporters. Whoever was sent out the night before was attacked by Atlantean security and escaped."

"But," Black Canary interjected, frown decorating her lips, "Not before damaging League tech and destroying the transporter. Aquaman currently can't get to his wife, and there is a risk Black Manta may try and infiltrate the city. People can get in, but they can't get back out. The Queen's students have been locked out and thus far have tried to protect the vicinity, followed by seven guards."

"Garth and Tula?" Kaldur stepped forward and the concern echoed through his voice. "Are they alright?"

"They're currently guarding the inner-outer gates to Atlantis. The original number of guards sent to investigate the scene were twenty, plus your friends, there's no doubt the perpetrator is still at large and trying to deny access through Atlantis." Batman tilted his head slightly and turned his attention to his protégé. "Robin will learn the schematics and fix the zeta-beam tube himself. You are to guard him, make sure nothing gets out of hand, and hover the scene in case the perpetrator shows himself once again."

"How far along is the queen?" Kaldur's eyebrows furrowed. "She is with child. Is the baby alright?"

"According to Aquaman, the baby is safe." Batman raised his head. "You will spend your nights guarding Atlantis. Miss Martian and Superboy will hover the perimeter for suspicious lurkers, Aqualad, you must play interpreter and guard the inner-most gate. Keep the queen and the baby safe, and make sure no one infiltrates Atlantis from the outside. Do I make myself clear?"

"No," Wally raised his hand, eyebrows furrowed. "What am _I_ doing?"

Long, drawn out silence. The Dark Knight kept his steady eye on the speedster, then nodded to his student. "You will be Robin's bodyguard."

**xxxxx**

Atlantis was gorgeous.

The view from the outside, anyway. The fact Kaldur would actually _leave_ all of this for the surface world left Wally in shock. Here they were in the Bioship (who knew you could actually _swim_ in it like a Biosub, too. Go figure) and his gaze was transfixed solely on the bright colors and the difference of atmosphere of it all. _Gorgeous._

Wally had been here once and—well, he wasn't going to mention it was because Kaldur had taught him how to swim after accidently running and _stopping_ in the middle of water, but it was cool. Really cool. He picked at the material of his black wetsuit and leaned carefully into the cushions behind him.

"So, uh," Megan started awkwardly, eyebrows furrowing together, "where's Artemis? I mean, I can't believe she'd miss out on the chance to see Atlantis for the first time, and we _were_ going to have that big party for Wally and stuff, you know?"

The speedster's lips twitched slightly and he smiled. His friends were going to throw a _party_ for him. Seriously, what better best friends could you have on the entire planet?

Sitting well-behave in his seat, the redhead leaned forward and looked their pilot in the eye. "'Missy's doing stuff for GA, I think. She got some big important call or something while we were in the middle of our date—"

"Wait!"

"Oof!" And with that, Megan accidently steered them off course through some huge purple coral-thing and nearly caused a…Bioship accident. Wow, that sounded weird.

Wally had fallen out of seat and catapulted across the deck until he landed clumsily across Kaldur's lap. Green eyes blinking, they registered the taller teen and Wally laughed. Warmth fluttered across his cheeks and he nervously laughed.

"Sorry," Megan meekly smiled, pulling her hands away from the orbs for a quick moment to gather them by her lips. "But—you and _Artemis?_ You're dating? Oh, wow—"

"What? No—_ew_, not a _real_ date." _Artemis_ had a thing for _Kaldur._ Ish. Not that she would admit it, but—_that was beside the point_! Wally heaved a sigh, grinning at the near-2% amusement that collected across their leader's demeanor, and detached himself from the Atlantean. "We _hung out_. That's it."

"But—but you called it a _date_!" Megan squealed once again—before finally settling. Her cheeks stained red as she sat pertinently in her seat. _How_ could someone be born so _cute_? Wally bit back a grin of amusement as their Martian smiled. "So—you guys? I-I thought you guy would _never_ get along because you're so passionate, and so driven, and get on each other's _nerves_—"

"It _wasn't a date_." Far from it. From the corner of his eye, the redhead watched carefully as…his used-to-be best friend drowned them out by looking through the schematics in his holocomp. Wally'd basically been assaulted the entire week by all the women in his life who were trying to cheer him up.

After the first visit, Kara never came back, but she promised to come to Thanksgiving. After _that_ was Uncle Barry (who really didn't count as a woman, but he was sorta-comforting none-the-less) with his awkward talk, and then…his…mother, who was just being his mother of all people, and Aunt Iris being sassy, and…Artemis being a butt. He was beginning to wonder how many people knew about his problem.

"You guys would make a cute couple though—"

"Oh, _yech._" Quickly realizing the hurt expression that crossed Megan's face, Wally sat higher in his seat and nervously shrugged."I mean—she's—'Missy's all nice and all, but she's really not my _type_, y'know?" Oh, definitely not his type. Snarky, witty, smartass-ic, and knew how to make him smile even when he didn't want to.

_Totally._

"It will be another twenty minutes before we begin our descent toward lower ground," Kaldur interrupted. He looked to both of them with a quaint smile gracing his lips before unbuckling his belt and standing high in the air. "This will be the first time you all have ever seen my home. Forgive me if I am a little…excited."

Kaldur. _Excited._ Innately, Wally glanced back to the far-right seat where Robin was still looking through his blueprints. The redhead's hands fisted into his armrest and he sank in his seat. Rob and he hadn't made eye contact since—well, actually, since they were in the infirmary at Titan's Tower.

They hadn't seen each other in days, and even though the other Rob said…to give it _time_, and the other Kid Flash said not to worry, but…_c'mon. _That Robby was a stiff little thing with something crawling up his butt and the other Wally was—well. Him. Only about a foot shorter and a little more googly-eyed.

But in that dimension, they actually _liked_ each other and clearly it hadn't worked out.

In less than a second, Rob slowly looked up—glancing speedster's way and the other teen quickly diverted his attention and admired the cuffs on his wrists. Wally blew a bang out of his face. Life sucked.

"Poseidonis is the capital of Atlantis."Aqualad frowned grimly, and slowly a holographic map of the Atlantic Ocean, followed by Atlantis was pulled up across the screen. "It is Poseidonis that is locked up. If Black Manta were to get past the security—"

"He'd," Robin started, unbuckling his seatbelt and jumping by Aqualad's side, "be able to get _in_ Poseidonis, but the queen would be in constant danger. Black Manta would turn the thing into a giant _genocide._"

Kaldur's lips twisted, unsettled. "We must keep him at bay and prevent him from ever reaching the capital. What is the estimated time, Robin, for the zeta-teleporter to be up-and-running once more?"

"Give me eight hours." Rob patted his utility belt and held his head high. "Gotta assess the damage and see what materials I can work with, and with what I'll need. Worst case scenario is that it won't be done by Sunday."

"Very well." Kaldur nodded courteously. His eyes shifted, suddenly gentle and very much eager as the bliss settled across his demeanor. "We will stay in my hometown, for the time being. Garth and Tula shall meet us there."

"Er, _thanks_, Kal, but what about us?" Wally zipped to their leader's side and placed his hands on his hips. "Not all of us have gills, if we're really staying longer than a few hours."

"We will _stay_ so long as we know that Atlantis is secure from any volatile harm." Kaldur turned his head, meeting eyes with the speedster and—oh.

Leader-mode again. Rob and he hadn't had the chance to talk (or really, _try_ to) while stocking for their new mission and trying on the wetsuits. The mission of course was top-priority, and it was obvious from the dirty look given by one sidekick to his Batty Mentor that Wally being Rob's 'bodyguard' was purposely forced. This was going to end badly if Robin and he couldn't get along.

"There's a bunker in the back of the ship," Megan offered. "It'll supply oxygen for all of us and we'll be able to sleep, depending on how long we're staying."

"Cool." Wally turned his head, once again taking a glance at Rob. He choked on the back of his own saliva, as they took out the supplies for the rebreathers. The metal fit awkwardly over his torso—Uncle Barry and the league said something last night about a growth spurt.

A shiver passed through him, and he paused from the supply cabinet while the rest of their teammates prepped to leave the Bioship. Bio_sub_? Who knew.

His thoughts fluttered back to what really happened during the week—how Kara checked up on him to make sure he was okay, and then…how Uncle Barry wanted to give him advice—being Uncle _Barry_ and helping him some way through the problem, and Aunt Iris just being…herself. Making him smile, at least.

And then the visit to his mother's, which never went well, so it put him in a bad mood he hadn't recovered from, along with the results yesterday. Without thought, Wally pressed a palm to his stomach and felt a run of queasiness. He ran a hand through his hair, reached for his rebreather, and sighed.

Just had to be careful about his pacing. Then, you know, half that without his goggles. Life sucked.

It wasn't until he looked up again that he realized the door had shut tightly, and that the ship was up and running once more. _What_? Wally ran through the ship, swim gear thrown over his shoulder until he reached the cockpit, where Robin clearly sat in the captain's seat.

Wally blinked. "Dude—"

"Aqualad, Miss M, and Co—Supey are the ones scanning the perimeter." Rob didn't even bat an eyelash—not that you could see under the optic lenses. Not only that but his voice was deeper—stern, and brought chills to the back of Wally's spine as the younger teen spoke. He was trying to be _authoritative. _"You and I are working on the entrance to Poseidonis."

Oh. Right.

"The city's twenty minutes away by submarine. We'll be able to get back to Kaldur's hometown without much trouble," added the Boy Wonder. "I've only been there once, but Batman says that the schematics should be the same for all the teleporter tubes."

They were talking. Only just like before, it was because of _hero _duties. For now, Wally followed along, strapping into his normal seat and looking out the window.

Neither one of them spoke.

Silence suffocated them, neither one saying a word as they passed through the deserted sea. The pit of Wally's stomach churned in grief, and he wished he was _anywhere_ but at his best friend's side. For once, the thought of being around Robin _terrified _him.

Oh, yeah. A thirteen-year-old boy was currently scaring the crap out of him. Totally something to add to his list of, 'Reasons Why Wally's Scared Out of his Pants.'

"Wally—"

"Idon'twanttohearit." Crud. Anxiety in his voice. Wally played with his wetsuit, pretended to interest himself with the material that replaced his boots, and turned his head.

There were at least two minutes of silence before Robin spoke again. "You don't even know what I'm going to say."

"I know what you're _not_ going to say." Robin wasn't going to tell him that he liked Wally back. That he cared, that he _acknowledged_ these feelings and he wanted for them to get together—that there was _more_ to this friendship and Wally wasn't the only one putting out.

"Wally!" Great. Now, Robin was _snapping._ "Can you just _please_ let me talk?"

"You seriously need all that time?" Wally whirled around, and a moment later stood offensively, ready to lash out and run _away_. This wasn't their fight at the parlor anymore. However—watching the way Rob's entire face was bright red, lips turned into a small frown and obviously _upset_, he wilted from his argument. "Fine."

"We're colleagues, first, okay?" There was an edginess inserted to Rob's tone. He looked away from the computer, just for the second, and back to Wally. "_Teammates._"

"Alright." Now if only Wally didn't know any better. The redhead crossed his arms, lowering his voice slightly as he tried to keep the bitterness at bay. "That's what the Robin-to-his-Batman would say. What about…" Wally's hands balled into fists. "What about the Robin-to-Kid Flash? I wanna hear my best friend."

Fortunately it was the only thing needed for Rob—his _best friend_ to loosen slightly.

"Robin," Wally started—and he hesitated. "Dick. Dick, I-I—if you're going to reject me, I want it because you're my best friend. Not because…it's some stupid unwritten code in the BatBible or something."

The next reaction was weird. Silence—stiff silence, like in Ro—Dick's mind, he had all the answers in the world and would have rather hidden them under his shroud like everything else. Like—like at the Titans' infirmary.

"The last time you did this, _Dick_," Wally said quietly, "I—I was spewing my guts out to you, alright? I meant everything I said to you—I _really_ like you. I'm in—I like you, okay? And then you told me to _get out of the room._ No other answer. I've thought about it back and forth, and I want to know. Plus, we're kind of underwater right now and it'd take me a bit longer to leave—"

"I'm thirteen."

The redhead cringed. He opened his mouth to speak once more, but as he looked up, white optic lenses were staring back, motionless.

"When I was seven," Robin started barely audibly, "I was performing, with my parents. We were the Flying Graysons. My parents were murdered by a sick man named Zucco, and I was taken in by the Batman. I found out his secret, and he taught me how to channel all my anger into crime fighting. I've spent five years of my life as his ward, and I've never regretted it. But…there's…a _lot_ of other stuff, that I can't deal with and—you're not just something that I need to _deal_ with, KF, you're my best friend. I don't want a relationship right now."

The lack of atmosphere and monochrome colors of the water splashed against the ship, bubbling like lifeless subs.

Wally felt the faint beating of his heart dig into his chest, and searched for an answer.

Rob gave him one first. "That's my rejection."

The ship once again made a slow descent, digging into the sand beneath it and firmly planting into the ground. It rumbled, shaking twice before settling.

"Alright." Wally pushed away from the chair, fluttering to the back again to retrieve his rebreather and oxygen tanks, and held them hesitantly between his fingers.

There was an instance where neither one of them spoke, and not even the soft hum of the sea felt reassuring. The bottom hatch squeaked, signaling someone had opened the gate, and a loud splash met Wally's ears.

For the first time all day he sat in his own silence, left to consider all the facts he'd been fed in the past week.

_Now_, Wally thought as he pressed the oxygen mask to his face, _my head hurts more than ever._

**xxxxxx**

_Next Chapter: Ahora protagonizada por Aquagirl! _


	19. Poseidonis

_Note: the incarnation of Aquagirl is Lorena Marquez. _

**Poseidonis. **

The city of Poseidonis looked like a giant snow globe. Maybe a bubble—that sounded slightly more accurate. According to the schematics he'd awkwardly read over Robin's shoulders, there were two gates: the gate to get into Poseidonis, and the gate to get into the inner bubble. He floated amongst a regal hallway fit for a palace, followed by countless Greek columns that he might have read once in English class (though he was pretty sure that was more of a Wonder Woman and the Amazons kinda thing).

It was _beautiful._

Had it not been the fact Wally was at the bottom of the ocean at the risk of being eaten by sharks—and also powerless, he would have wanted to spend his entire life just exploring Atlantis. The helmet over his face were an uncomfy fit, and the pressure alone should have been enough to cause his insides to collapse and kill him—which, probably didn't because of the bubble. There was something about the orb that was obviously counteracting the forces that would kill them all (that, and Uncle Barry once told him Aquaman had a very high density pressure) but aside from that, it was pretty.

The water was surprisingly pristine despite all the ecofriendly, 'Save the Oceans'! lectures he'd heard since he was a little kid, and there was surprisingly little damage done to the interior architecture. They'd past plenty damage getting toward Poseidonis, along with the blood-drenched waters that surrounded the area, but…the exterior of Poseidonis still looked intact.

Wally took careful time navigating through the labyrinth. For once in his life he didn't care if he was late—and god only knew if he'd be seeing Rob right away. The redhead had already given his…not boyfriend, but…not…_best friend_, right? A five minute head start so they wouldn't have to navigate in awkward silence, and took careful time getting toward the first gate.

Not that it really mattered.

Technically their 'fight' was resolved, but it wasn't. The guys didn't know what had happened, and although it was a big incident between them, it wasn't big enough to interfere with the team. Shouldn't have been, at least.

He had trouble moving in his wet suit under this much resistance, and fight against the fluidity. Wally pulled away from his thoughts for a quick second, stretching through tides to head down a different corridor, where a glance of red caught his eye. Rob was already conversing with the Atlanteans.

Swimming closer, he caught glimpses—words, of their conversation, but the clumsy speech didn't surprise him.

There was a burly man dressed as a guard, currently trying to have a conversation with the Boy Wonder in broken English with a thick Atlantean accent that made him near unidentifiable. By the angry frown and by the way he cast a dirty look to Robin's scuba gear, this wasn't going to end well.

Which didn't.

A sabre was immediately lashed out at Robin and quickly the short teen pivoted away.

"Rob!" Without even thinking, Wally flapped his legs, diving through the water and quickly forcing the shorter teen away from violent harm since the water sabre—looking suspiciously like one of Kaldur's water bearers—and forced him against a wall.

Blood. He saw _blood_ seeping through the small slit on his best friend's wet suit, and a disturbing color of red fluttered up to his face like a puff of smoke. Robin clutched it tightly, the sting of salt water no doubt suddenly tackling the slight wound, and grimaced.

"Th-Thanks," reverberated the comm.-link.

"What's the deets?" Wally kept an arm secure over Rob's waist to keep him supported, and wished he had a first-aid kit right about now. Or a translator—he was pretty sure the guard was cursing them out in Atlantean. Yikes.

"Tried to convince him that _we _were the ones sent to fix the teleporter. He—unghh—didn't agree with me. KF, I'm—I'm fine, let go." What? Robin reaffirmed his request by twitching, rotating against Wally's form and elbowing him in the stomach before floating on his own two feet. "_Let go." _

Right. Hands on waist, body trying to support another body. Definitely not what Rob wanted right now. Kid Flash let go of his best friend, disregarding the force behind the request, and shivered as the guard trudged forward with no doubt, the very intent to grab and throw them out of the city.

"What's the ETA on Kaldur's arrival so he can finally play interpreter?" Wally ducked the large arm to slash him, quickly swimming between legs and dodging a good stomp on the head. He twisted—grimaced, because there was absolutely _nothing_ he could do to alleviate the current circumstances, and backed into a wall. _Crap._

"Well," Rob announced as he whipped out a few batarangs—which really meant this fight was getting _serious_, "we took the Bioship. Meg's gotta reroute it so that it goes to _meet_ them, and then it's a twenty minute ride to actually get here—"

"Got it, got it, got it." Wally grinned—terminal velocity. He pushed against the ocean ground and planted himself firmly upon the guard's shoulders, wrapping is legs tightly around his neck and covering his eyes with hands. "Long, _long_ time. Worst than trying to get the _Flash_ to be early for something."

"_Hahaha._" Robin sniggered—and really, it was music to Wally's ears. "Corny tonight, aren't ya?"

The batarangs he flung were different than the ones Wally was used to seeing when they were in the surface. He quickly realized (after jabbing his fingers in the guard's eyes and ignoring the loud cry of protest he got in return) that they were implanted with mini-torpedoes and dug into the guard's skin like butter.

The guard yelled in pain and protest, and the next thing Wally knew, Robin was yanking him by the arm and pulling him off their large problem.

"Careful," Rob chimed, and his hand remained tightly wound around Wally's wrist. "We can't endure too many explosions. The pressure down here will kill us without the suits, and if they get injured—"

"We die," Wally finished. He rotated his wrist, half glancing at their situation and stared at his best friend uncertainly. "You can let go now."

"Right." A second later the hand whipped away, put behind the teen like it'd never existed.

The guard cried out in protest as the batarangs exploded—well, maybe not a cry of protest.

More like a cry for _back-up._

"This mission," Wally vocalized loudly as he forcibly pushed Robin toward the wall and near the gate to inner Poseidonis, "would have gone a _lot_ better if our translator was here!"

"Halt!"

Pretty lady. Pretty, long and flowing dark hair, fluid brown eyes, deep caramel skin and—a skin-tight, blue wetsuit that gave Wally the sneaking suspicion came from the big king himself. Despite Robin's earlier protests (a bit of his own, too) of skin contact, Wally felt himself press up against his best friend—if not for protection, then for caution, with his hipbone pressed carefully into Robin's thigh and hand pressing against the wound.

A girl stood on the other side, standing maybe an inch or two taller than Wally himself. Spanish, Mexican-descent-ish, with her dark hair fluttering in the water and no doubt a trident fisted in her grasp. Then again, she was probably pure _Atlantean_—it being a given and all that Kaldur could have passed for Black.

She started speaking in Atlantean, with at least three more guards behind her and would occasionally turn her head to meet glance with Wally.

"What do you think," he whispered, turning his attention back to Robin, "Good or bad? I mean, obviously _good_ if the guards aren't going to destroy us but—she could be plotting."

Fortunately Robin shook his head. "No. Her dialect isn't as thick as the guards are. Atlantean isn't her first language—she might even actually be _human._"

A smile curled across her face, a clear sign that she probably heard them. Instead of thrashing and suddenly smiting them, she drifted their way, trident in one hand and the other extended Rob's way. "I'm going to assume you're the technician the league sent to deal with the…_problems_?"

"I—" Robin extended his own hand and looked mildly shell-shocked. "Er, yeah."

Whoa—Wally blinked. Then frowned. When did Rob discover _puberty_?

"You're Robin, Boy Wonder." She grinned and turned her head, this time eyes gleaming for _Wally. _A courteous smile reached her face and she leaned in slightly, playful sparkle shining in her gaze. "And you, are Kid Flash. I've heard great things about you."

"From…Aquaman? Aqualad?" Robin shook the hand graciously and smiled softly.

_Casually_, like their conversation hadn't happened back at the ship. Wally stared at the other teen ager in surprise and turn looked back.

The girl in front of them merely grinned. "From the _news._"

"Are you uh, you know, a surface dweller?" Kid Flash blinked.

Apparently meeting her approval, the girl turned her head, dismissing the Atlantean army before turning back. She planted the trident firmly in front of her and nodded her head. "You can call me Aquagirl."

_Aquagirl. _"Didn't know that Aquaman was picking up other sidekicks." Wally would have bet money that second to Green Arrow getting a female sidekick, the streets of Gotham would be filled with estrogen from like, a Batgirl or—or some heroine named Flamingo.

"I," Aquagirl pounded her trident to the ground, eyes sparkling with amusement, "am _not_ a sidekick. I'm the master strategist and lead, of Queen Mera's defense."

"Don't tell me you're also the midwife." Wally crossed his arms and Robin snickered.

Her eyes twinkled with amusement and she jabbed the trident in Wally's way. _"No te metas conmigo."_

Uh, what? "That's not Atlantean, is it? Because I'm pretty sure I've heard Kaldur speak Atlantean."

Robin snorted. "She said, 'Don't mess with me.'"

"You speak Atlantean?" Wally gawked.

"I speak _Spanish._" Robin pushed him aside, and at that moment Wally realized he'd pressed the other teen too far into the wall. Robin fluttered across the hall and stood parallel to Aquagirl, suddenly projecting the schematics to the zeta beam teleporter tube on the holocomp. "Batman sent us and Kaldur to investigate the scene and fix the teleporter. Didn't mean to get scruffed up by your friends."

"Kaldur," Aquagirl repeated slowly. "Aqualad?"

"Yeah." Robin negated away from her, suddenly returning to the damaged gate and pulling a flashlight out of his aquatic-proof utility belt. "He's supposed to be our interpreter, but—looking at these damages, he had the right idea getting us settled in the next town over, first."

"How come your friends got so touchy when Rob touched the gate?" Wally crossed his arms, looking to Aquagirl carefully with an arched eyebrow. "They were expecting us, weren't they?"

To that, Aquagirl's demeanor turned sour and she slowly shook her head. A soft smile spread across her face, though somewhat uncertain. "It's what you said yourself, Kid Flash. Surface dwellers. Segregation, prejudice—and for very good reasons, with how there are humans who taint the oceans with toxins."

"So they fired at Rob because he's human?" Wally frowned. If this was going to happen on a constant basis, they needed a convenient interpreter—like, _now._ "What about you? _You_ don't exactly scream Atlantean about yourself, either."

"Long story." Brown eyes twinkled with nostalgia and she fluttered away, examining the damages just as Rob was doing. Wally followed her with great interest. "But informative enough that I have their trust and that Aquaman and Queen Mera are alright with my chosen lifestyle. How long will it take you to fix this—if you can, Robin?"

"I _can_ fix this." Yikes. Rob's response was anything but polite—may more hostile than general, but Wally quickly reminded himself that Rob wasn't the happiest guy when underestimated. "But I'll need a lot of material to rebuild what isn't here. We _should_ have that on the ship."

Wally found a slab to sit against, legs rocking back and forth at his chosen position, and forced the jealousy from the pit of his stomach.

"Technology," Aquagirl muttered carefully. "I've got no clue what's going on. Seeing as you're the partner of Batman, I suppose I should leave you two be—"

"_No._" Unison answer.

The last thing Wally wanted to do was be left alone with his best friend who—about twenty minutes ago had _rejected_ him and basically told him getting into a relationship was pointless. Following those twenty minutes, he'd probably touched Rob more than he had in his entire _life_, and wasn't about to let his best friend go. But…being _alone_ would have provoked things, and Wally didn't need any more provoking tonight. Really.

"We…" Wally started carefully, looking back and forth between Aquagirl and Robin's back, "need a translator. If they're going to be wary of us, who else better to monitor our work than the army's captain?"

"Lieutenant," she corrected, though not sternly. To some degree, she actually reminded him of Kara. A fruity smile spread across her lips, soft chuckle escaping from the back of her throat before she fluttered his way and stood parallel to the speedster. "I've heard great things about the League's covert team."

"Oh?" Wally quirked an eyebrow and smiled slightly. She was…strong, empowering, witty, and kinda funny. If not for Rob he would have been pretty darn smitten. "We're called Young Justice."

"Aqualad is your leader. You're the speed, Robin is the brains, Superboy is strength and—" She cracked a slight grin. "You three disobeyed Aquaman and the rest of them on the Fourth of July. This team was made from breaking the rules."

Er. Well. Wally weakly smiled and laughed through the mic. "Depends on the version they tell you—"

"Aquagirl. You think you can go get the welding supplies I brought from the ship?" Robin looked to him and—was frowning. _Again. _

Wally frowned back. "Aquagirl doesn't know where the ship is, _Birdbrain_." Could he call Rob a birdbrain? There was a lot of logic behind the rejection (at least the logic Wally desperately wanted to _believe_), but that didn't mean he wasn't angry. And…he had to pace himself. Badly, if he wanted to keep Rob's friendship.

"She knows the seas better."

"I actually know where the _ship_ is."

There wasn't any possibility for Robin to actually _win_ this fight, and then suddenly—"The last time you were in water, you _drowned._"

Ah. Wally blinked carefully, hand instinctively going to the arm that'd broken and healed_ months_ ago. And then played the 'no fair-sies' game, putting his hands at his sides and standing as tall as the suit would allow him. "The last time I left _you_ alone, you dove in head first without any of your freaking gear and nearly got murdered. And before that, you got _kidnapped_, and if you hadn't gotten kidnapped—"

"_Joker_, KF."

Wally gritted his teeth. "Your freaking _brother_, Rob."

Silence. For the first time since their dispatch from the ship, Robin turned around, making sole eye contact with the speedster and arms crossed over his chest in attempt to be mature._ Who was really mature though, in this room_? Robin swam his way and they stood against each other, chest-to-chest.

"He's not my brother," Rob scowled.

"Not _yet_," Wally reiterated. "_Robin_ told me what happened that night Di—_Rob._ He told me why you were so freaking in over your head, and what your motivations probably were—"

"_You_ nearly died because the Joker pinned you to a buoy and detonated explosions! _Hahaha! _Don't get me _started_ on your track record, Wally!" Robin jabbed a finger in his direction and scowled menacingly. "Then at the diner he would have blown your brains out again if given the chance. The Joker nearly killed you _twice_ and you act like it's _no freaking big deal._"

"Because it's _all in a day's work_!" God just—_what the hell_? Anger boiled in the pit of Kid's stomach and he growled. "You know how many times I've nearly died and it's not been a big deal? _Hello_, science protégé. I freaking set up all of these toxic chemicals that a light exposure to just _one_ of them would have burnt my skin for ages and got _struck by lightning_. When I was thirteen, Captain Boomerang jabbed a boomerang through my damn _stomach_ and the surgeons had to get it out while my body _healed around it._

"Six weeks after I finally became Kid Flash, Captain Cold froze the hell out of me and I nearly died from hypothermia because I was still trying to figure out _how the hell _to vibrate my molecules _on command_. Four months ago, I nearly _drowned_ in a swimming pool had not Miss Martian'd saved me. _Red X _nearly decapitated my freaking head when I carried you all the way back to Titan's Tower, and just last night, I ran so face that my body near de-stabilized. _Again. _

"Rob! The only time that I've been so freaking scared in my life was when Zoom—" Wally stopped dead in his tracks.

Through his entire rant, Robin's expression had gone blank like someone who'd just walked away from a warzone. His expression was limp and eyes were flitted, and at his side were his fists. But at the last thought, at _Zoom_, Robin perked immediately.

And, Wally didn't know what to say. He knew what he didn't _want_ to say and leaped a slow step back, Aquagirl at his side, but somehow Rob in the face had become ridiculously hard.

"I," the Boy Wonder said carefully, "beg your pardon?"

Dammit. He needed an escape route. "The ship should be parked right outside the columns under the big statue of the really hot queen." Or not. "Aquagirl, could you…give us a moment?"

She looked back and forth between the pair, blinking with hands at her hips, and smiled wryly. "Don't kill each other."

Rob was silent. Then, "The welding equipment should be under my seat. Check the one with the 'R' on the side."

"Will do. Asta la vista." She waved a hand, and a look of relief washed over her demeanor before Aquagirl finally swam away.

Leaving Wally and Rob where they were—no steps forward, and three steps back. The redhead cupped his hands into fists, and if he had pockets, he would have stuffed his hands in them. Instead, they locked one another in a staring match, and this time Robin wasn't looking away.

He was even the first one to speak. "Tell me about Professor Zoom_._"

"No." Wally fervently shook his head.

"Wally—"

"My villain," Wally snapped, and he crossed his arms. "You either respect my privacy as your _best friend_ or go dig it up yourself, Robin. I don't have to tell you something when you don't tell me all your secrets, either."

"How can I _keep_ secrets from you when you've already figured out my biggest one?" Rob's voice delved deeper one octave and he snorted. Right. The _Dick_ secret.

They clung onto the silence that followed them, inaudible to the world but gazes broad and strict. Wally clutched his shoulder with his other hand and closed his eyes.

Rob spoke again. "It's been less than an hour."

"Since what, your blatant _rejection_?" Wait, was he seriously…getting _accused_ for just _talking_ to a girl by the guy who turned him down after silently yearning for three freaking years? "Dude, that is weak sauce and you _know_ it."

"I'm just—"

"You're just—being—_Robin._" Wally threw his arms in the air and—suddenly felt like an idiot. Stupid. What he just said to Rob was stupid. This entire conversation, was stupid. This entire situation—_stupid._ With that, the feeling in the speedster's legs gave way and he fell—into water. Kinda floaty, he mused with himself, since he probably couldn't rest his butt on anything underwater without getting crushed by pressure. Or something like that. "Wow."

Rob's lips contorted into an upturned frown. Through the thin lining of his mask, Wally could see Rob's brow bones move—hesitant, before Rob turned again and grazed a hand against rusting metal. Kid leaned against the wall and—waited.

"Don't," he whispered, "do that. Please."

No surprise that Boy Wonder didn't answer back.

And well, Wally was being stupid. If he was going to go down in the Justice League history books as an idiot, so be it. "You've got this bad habit of shutting yourself out whenever something bad happens to you. Something _too emotional _for you. It's worse than when Supey does it because you've actually got the social skills of a human being—"

"You think I _like_ the situation with you?" Robin jerked his head and even with the mask, the speedster knew his best friend was glaring. "_Hahaha. _I spent two months trying to avoid your affections. You _kissed_ me, you _checked me out_, and you flirted with me to _no end_, Wally. You think for once, how stressed out I felt?"

Every freaking day.

Robin glared; Wally took it.

"I can't talk to you right now," Robin admitted finally, and he turned his head. "If we're going to maintain our friendship after this, then—we need space. _Now._"

"I'm your '_bodyguard'_, remember? Can't leave." Wally crossed his arms. "And the last time I left you alone, you nearly got _slaughtered._"

"You almost exploded. I—" Rob froze, then wilted. "I don't want that to happen again."

"I guess we're stuck with each other."

"I guess so."

Wally changed the movement in his gear and found a small cove to sit on. Pressing the back of his head against the wall, Kid Flash shut his eyes and ignored the sound of Robin's tinkering.

"Wh-Whoa—"

"Rob!" Turning his head again, Wally took in the sight as Robin was wobbling and—he nearly fell _into_ the portal. Quickly the speedster swam to his side, yanking the smaller teen away with brute force (which was suddenly a hard task because the portal was _insistent_) and jerked him away from the entrance.

Both teens went hurdling against the wall, causing a huge thud as Wally landed, and Rob landed against him, nearly breaking the glass to the redhead's oxygen helmet in the process. A new disarray of bruises and aches spread through Wally, and he softly groaned.

"You alright?" At least this explained the whole 'bodyguard' thing. Wally kept a hand secure around Robin's wrist, tight and probably-near suffocating.

And unfortunately for him, the other teen only stiffened as light grimace falling across his lips before he stood to his feet and swam away. "Perfectly whelmed."

Great. Wally ducked his head and rested it against a nearby wall. This could have gone better.

**xxxxx**

Oh…oh dear.

Calling the ship back so they could leave, that hadn't been a problem. Naides was a beautifully small town, and Kaldur's mother was a sweet woman who was more than happy to meet them. She didn't speak much English, which, uh, didn't help with the language barrier, but it wasn't a bad thing. M'gann had her fair share of situations where she wasn't sure what to say.

But, uh, summoning the ship to get back, it'd slipped her mind (and everyone else's) to call Robin and Kid Flash to see if they needed the ship. Not that _they_ were on it, but—uh. O-On the way, M'gann squeaked in surprise, fervently backing up until Superboy caught her by the arm, and stared in surprise as a…a _girl_ came tumbling down the bottom hatch looking sick to her stomach.

"Lorena," Kaldur's eyes widened in surprise.

"Aqualad," 'Lorena' responded, once she was coherent again. There was a kit tucked tight between her hands with Robin's emblem decorating the case perfectly. After that, both of them had slipped into a different language—what M'gann assumed was Atlantean. Once in a while, 'Lorena' would giggle or sport a grin, and Kaldur would hitch in attitude—_and_ tone, apparently stunned.

Superboy tapped her on the shoulder. "Any idea what they're saying?"

M'gann shook her head. "I-I don't know any Atlantean."

"She's pretty," Superboy offered. "But she doesn't stand like the rest of the people in Naides did, or Kaldur's mother. I don't think she's a native."

_Oops._ At that mention, Ms. Lorena turned her head, eyes acknowledging them for the first time since her in dept conversation, and she flashed a grin. M'gann squeaked, Superboy stayed put, and Ms. Lorena floated a foot back, tearing away from their leader with amusement. "—_es donde mi conocimiento de la de la Altantean ya termina_."

"She speaks Spanish," Superboy supplied helpfully.

M'gann giggled.

"My apologies." Aqualad courteously bowed, head lowered guiltily before gesturing to the ship. "Let us get onto the ship, and I…will explain what I know."

"Alright," M'gann agreed. She smiled helpfully and soared up the hatch. Shaking off the water from her skin, she took tidily to her chair and awaited for the rest of her teammates to come up. From the window she could see Superboy and Aqualad having a quick conversation and…she sighed, fidgeting slightly in her seat. Aqualad was Superboy's…_instructor_, sort of, and Wally and Robin were best friends, so that normally left her with Artemis. But with Artemis disappearing on occasion…oh, she sorta felt like the fifth wheel.

"How do you do it?"

"Eep!" M'gann jumped in her seat before turning around and—"O-Oh! H…Hi, Ms. Lorena."

"Aquagirl." _Aquagirl_? There was an _Aquagirl_? Well, there was a Supergirl, so, it was…kind of plausible. Aquagirl smiled kindly, offering a hand. In the other arm was the large kit, 'R' insignia proudly printed along the side. "You don't wear a suit?"

"I don't? Oh! Well…" M'gann looked to her clothes—the cape, with her cloak, her skirt, and the emblem that was known for Uncle J'onn. "I'm a Martian! And, well, there isn't oxygen on Mars, and I can fly, so…I don't really need the protection that Superboy, Robin, and Wa—Kid Flash need."

"Ah." Aquagirl luckily nodded in understanding as Kaldur and Superboy finally made it up the ship and closed the hatch.

For some reason, Kaldur looked slightly deterred. Slowly, a small but bothered smile spread across his lips and he gestured to Aquagirl. "Forgive me for the disruption. This is Ms. Lorena Marquez. Lorena, allow me to introduce you to Miss Martian and Superboy. We are—"

"The covert team that operates under the Justice League, and you are the leader," Aquagirl finished. She smirked quirkily, extending a hand to Superboy, which was courteously taken. "I'm the new lieutenant for Aquaman's army, and as of her pregnancy, Queen Mera's bodyguard. I'm _Aquagirl._"

Apparently there was something incredibly horrifying about the thought. Despite how proud Aquagirl stood—especially with the trident in hand, Kaldur suddenly looked ill at ease, and took a step forward in front of her. "_Aquagirl_?"

Uh-oh. M'gann turned around and nervously bit her lip. "I-I'm setting a course for Poseidonis, now."

"Oh," the disapproving tone in Kaldur's voice suddenly disappeared, though only slightly. "Ms. Marquez, forgive my rudeness—however, the last time I saw you was over a year ago when you were…submerged, with the rest of your city and orphaned. To…carry such a burden now—"

"What _burden_?" Aquagirl…_giggled_, and surprisingly enough didn't speak in formalities. She crooned, a fervent and playful smile that rivaled _Robin's_ painted across her lips before crossing her arms. "I chose this lifestyle. Queen Mera has been training me as her apprentice for six months. I've worked alongside Arthur—"

"You do not have the aura, for the magic," Kaldur frowned.

"I can still kick your butt in one go." She looked to him sharply and offered another smirk. "Right now, handsome. You wanna try it?"

"I—uh—" Poor Kaldur's eyes widened in surprise and—and the _color_ that swelled in his cheeks. "I would rather—my…_team…_"

Aquagirl giggled, clearly satisfied with the reaction before plopping in a seat next to Superboy. A different expression crossed her face, suddenly grim, and she whipped out the trident that'd originally been strapped to her back. "How long will repairs take? The queen may be a powerful sorceress, but with the baby coming, even _she_ has her limits."

"I…" Their leader suddenly let out a sigh of relief (whether he realized it or not, since the conversation suddenly shifted), "I do not know. It will depend on the cooperation between Kid and Robin, and if they are willing to—"

"They're not." _Huh_? Aquagirl shook her head, this time standing as they took the rest of the route toward Poseidonis. "They were arguing pretty badly out there, Aqualad. The guards would have thrown them out if I hadn't explained Robin would be fixing the transporter."

"Oh," M'gann bit her lip. That was bad. Really bad, and considering earlier today when Robin came into the room, he wasn't in the happiest of moods. And, Wally looked bothered, the entire time during the briefing, so this was probably…really, _really_ bad. She sighed softly and lowered her gaze, only half-heartedly focusing on the window. "They were so…_fine_, but when school started taking their attention, and after Wally's accident, they just kind of…fell apart a little. It's like a _warzone_ or something lately, between them. Robin's always giving tense looks when Wally's not watching, and Wally's looking at Robin _three_ times instead of two."

"We've discussed this." Kaldur frowned and shook his head with disapproval. "Vehemently. Clearly this is not a problem that they can handle alone."

"Clearly you're missing something." Aquagirl's lips quirked into a smile and she placed her hands at her side.

Kaldur blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing. Let them figure it out themselves, just," she crossed her arms and chuckled softly, "don't let them kill each other. At least not before they get together."

_Get together_? M'gann tilted her head in surprise, getting a better look at the other teen, but…couldn't make sense of the word. Wally and Robin liked each other like…_liked_ each other? In the movies? Like the Titanic, Romeo and Juliet, and…and Blaine and Kurt from Glee?

They were both boys! Oh, but gender…never really _mattered_ on Mars, and it wasn't a big deal or anything, at least not on Mars. Plus, it would explain all of the glances and, _hello_, Megan!

"Of course they like each other!" M'gann pressed a hand to her face and flashed a grin—before suddenly realizing what she was doing. Red splattered across her cheeks as Kaldur looked to her in confusion, Superboy arched an eyebrow of amusement, and, er, Aquagirl giggled again. "O-Oh, sorry, I just—sorry."

"It's fine, M'gann." Kaldur smiled softly and warmly before shaking his head. "How long until we land?"

"Two minutes!" M'gann looked at the statistics and smiled carefully. "We can see what parts Robin needs and…oh, probably call it a night, huh? It's getting pretty late."

"Most likely," their leader agreed. He pressed a hand on her shoulder, gently squeezing, and a small smile appeared across his lips. "I thank you. Both of you, and the team, for helping me with a problem so…personal, to home."

That was good. Superboy turned his head, suddenly tuning into the conversation, and—he returned their leader's smile. "You know we'd do anything for you."

"He has a point," M'gann agreed. Sitting straighter in her seat, she couldn't help the warmth that fluttered to her chest. "You do so _much_ for us, Kaldur So, _so_ much."

Kaldur'd been the one who coaxed her, when she doubted her value to the team. Kaldur helped _Superboy_ become a…a _person_, and managed to calm Robin and Kid Flash down long enough to have a decent conversation with. If _anyone _were better to lead the team, she didn't believe it.

Aquagirl stood to her feet as the ship took a soft lending. She extended the trident in her hand, expression suddenly growing grim. "I've gotten the guards to do a ten-mile sweep every hour, on the hour. The seas…have gotten hostile, though, without guidance. If Aquaman doesn't get back soon, I'm afraid we'll be sleeping with the sharks."

"Understood." Aqualad looked to both of his teammates, expression softening slightly before gesturing to the door. "Let us proceed."

Smiling brightly, M'gann happily nodded and made her way out the hatch just like the rest of them. She put the Bioship in sleep mode as the others followed, and—oh, _wow._ Poseidonis was _beautiful_. Er, from the outside, at least, in a giant bubble and _everything_!

"It's so different," she squealed quietly to Superboy, "from _Mars. _It's uh, well, _blue_, for one thing."

He nodded with approval, smiling slightly behind his mask, and M'gann couldn't help the heat that radiated in her cheeks. They followed after Aquagirl and Aqualad, who with no doubt had a brisk lead and—wow, Aquagirl looked like she was enjoying herself. Aqualad seemed someone mystified since they met her, but maybe that…wasn't a bad thing.

"You think they like each other?" M'gann whispered again. "It's hard to believe that she's the lieutenant in charge of Aquaman's army—b-but not necessarily a _bad_ thing."

"I'm wondering where this Garth and Tula are," Superboy admitted. A frown decorated his lips and he crossed his arms. "They were supposed to meet us when we landed in Naides."

"M…Maybe there's a problem." Oh, yeah. Garth and Tula were Kaldur's best friends from before the team formed. Where _were_ they, anyway?

They stopped at the first gate, dwelling behind both Aquagirl and Aqualad as they talked to the front guard. Oh, he was _scary. _M'gann bit her lip, once again finding herself hiding behind Superboy as the guard took one glance their way, and shivered. Chills ran up her spine and she squirmed.

Superboy blinked. "Why are you so scared?"

"They're uh—they're—big," she whispered. Oh, this was _embarrassing_, she hoped Superboy didn't think she was just being silly.

Fortunately he managed a smile, light and—and warm, before nodding. "Alright."

One look from Aqualad and they took it as their signal to go into the great hall that worked as a barrier for the real city. The columns, the colors—it was even beautiful on the _inside_, and they hadn't gone through the core of the city yet. M'gann smiled softly to herself as they spotted Robin and Wally.

Wally stood up the moment they arrived, and Robin was…oh, he was working on the gate. There had to be at least six feet of distance from one another. And…oh, they were so _sad_, too, this was—_that_ wasn't acceptable. Wally smiled weakly and for the first time since their meeting started, M'gann took a look at their speedster. He looked…tired, and—and _stressed_, and, er, angry. And Robin hadn't been giving him looks the entire time.

She sighed. Looks like they hadn't made up.

"How's the work going?" Aqualad vocalized, and to his surprise Robin jumped as if taken off guard by his voice. Momentarily their leader and second-in-command stared at one another before briefly nodding.

"Batman was right," the smallest teen informed. "You can get _in,_ but you can't get out. The tube recognizes your heat signature if you get within four inches of the machine and by one inch further, it's ready to suck you in."

"I've already had to pull him out twice before he realized he couldn't get close," Kid Flash snorted. Angrily…mind you. The distance stayed constant as Kid fluttered maybe even further, and then gestured to the portal. "There might be a…_wormhole_ quality to it. We heard voices on the other side and suddenly…_boom._ They were gone. Little kid voices."

"You mean little kids are _playing_ next to the portal? What if they—" Kaldur's eyes narrowed, and quickly their speedster waved his hands.

"No. _No. _There's a 93% that they're just…lost in the _worm_ part of it. Still in the vacuum bag." The speedster shook his head and gestured back to the handiwork. "But…I don't know about the 7% who's tried to exit the city. Poseidonis is like, the Metropolis of Atlantis, right? People must be going in and out of the city every day."

"We were out here earlier trying to negate the original attack on the tube," Aquagirl said carefully. She vehemently shook her head and frowned. "Black Manta's probably rolling…wherever the hell he really is. It's probably unnerving for those stuck inside to be there so long."

"You get my welding kit?" Robin swam her way.

"Got it," she agreed. "The sooner Poseidonis is accessible again, the better. How long will it take you?"

"Too long." He shook his head, lips curling into a tight frown. "Bolts are missing. _Valves_ are missing. There was a system that coaxed dwellers back and forth to avoid being suffocated by the change in water pressure between Poseidonis and just the clear outskirts. Lacking the materials for this…well, I'm going to have to do it by scratch. Melt the metal back on the ship, and then time it perfectly to keep the system up and running. It'll be done by tomorrow if I pull an all-nighter, but—"

"Do not strain yourself, of pulling an…all-nighter." Kaldur shook his head, hands crossed against his chest. "What we want for this new portal is quality, over briskness. A sloppy job may ensure Black Manta's infiltration."

"It's three in the morning." The smallest teammate hesitantly turned away and gestured to the portal. "What's going to happen to this, then?"

"Absolutely nothing." Their leader pressed a hand to Robin's shoulder, squeezing reassuringly before he shook his head. "Both you and Kid get to the ship. Weld what you need, the particular parts, and let them dry. First thing, when you wake up in the morning, report here and finish your handiwork. Ms. Lorena, M'gann, Superboy and I will change shifts and monitor the seas. Get your rest. You look like you need it—the both of you."

They watched quietly as both Kid Flash and Robin subconsciously (though with a grimace at the realization) looked to one another for approval. Wally grimaced, and Robin's stature tightened, so…well, they obviously weren't in agreement with one another. M'gann bit the inside of her lip. This probably wasn't going to end well.

"You've been out here too long," Aquagirl pointed out. She shook her head fervently and gestured to the pair. "If Black Manta really _is_ monitoring us, which wouldn't be anything new, then I would guess he knows your face, too. War with Black Manta isn't anything new. If Kid Flash is acting bodyguard, then he has to step up."

"I—right." Kid Flash blinked, hands on his hips before his eyebrows contorted. "My cuffs are empty anyway. Gotta restock on food if I wanna be at full strength. C'mon…Rob."

"Be careful," M'gann chided. She put a hand on his shoulder, worry permeating through her. "You'll be fine, won't you?"

To her surprise for the first time since M'gann knew him, Wally turned his head, gaze half-hazed and…the trouble seeping through. She didn't need to read his mind to know he was struggling with the current circumstances. A weak, near-withered smile spread across his lips and Wally returned the gesture, putting a near-lifeless hand against M'gann's own. "Yeah. I'll be fine."

Kid Flash and Robin floated away and—and she didn't need to read his mind, to feel how _lost_ Wally felt, either.

"Miss Martian."

M'gann snapped out of her thoughts the moment Kaldur penetrated her barrier. She stood high against Superboy and nervously nodded. "Y…Yeah?"

Kaldur nodded, and…somehow in his eyes, she could see him worried as well. "Go north. Report back if you sense anything suspicious."

"Oh. Roger that, Aqualad. He…heh…"

**xxxxx**

Wally was asleep.

The swim back to the ship was for the most part silent, with the occasional comment on Wally's end, but all related to the wormhole theory, which—to be honest, wasn't a bad theory. It made more sense in Dick's mind more than what he could gather, but...he had a trouble of focusing.

Batman trained him for every variable, every situation that could happen and how to maintain control, but in truth, he hadn't slightest clue how to handle this situation. How to handle _Wally_, which was ridiculous because—you didn't…_handle_ Wally. Wally was a human being.

Somehow it scared him. The thought haunted him back when he first put on that silicone mask and followed Robin to find Red X's hideout; how the mask fit _so well_ like a second skin. Even with his own mask, Dick was able to feel the texture as it wrinkled against his skin, along with the spirit gum that stretched his flesh.

And…that Robin, and that Wally. Robin was older, had _confessed_ to Wally and suddenly became that person, strict and almost heartless. His fighting style was colder—more gruesome, and at the mention of Batman that Robin nearly threw a gasket.

But in this case, Wally was older, had been the one to confess, and Dick had turned him down. On more occasions than one.

"Crap," he murmured, and the heated bolt flung out of his hand and across the cockpit, still simmering in bright orange. He put his bare finger in his mouth, hoping to lull it before grabbing a damp rag and wrapping his finger.

Dick stood from his chair at the cockpit, the pit of his stomach suddenly feeling woozy. The t-shirt loosely clung to his torso, shorts waving as he walked. It was breezy.

Megan's Bioship was of course small, opposed to something as humongous as the Watchtower. It was enough, however, with sleeping quarters, the cockpit, and a tiny medic bay that doubled as the kitchen. He strode through the dimly lit hallways, grimacing behind his mask before halting right in front of the sleeping chambers.

Hesitation bubbled in his stomach, and carefully, Dick pushed the door open, leaning forward to take in the view.

It was dark. His eyes adjusted to the loss of light, and sure enough there was a lump resting in one of the beds. Dick gripped the door tightly, belly churning, and shut it behind him. Wally was fine.

And he couldn't think straight. Not like this; not now.

The Boy Wonder strode to the very back, where the SCUBA Gear and oxygen tanks rested, solely for this mission. He—well, to be a pessimist—needed _air._ The week without Wally at his side had been difficult because it was as though the relationship between 'Richard Grayson' and 'Wally West' never existed.

"What relationship?" he whispered to himself, and Dick took a dagger to his chest.

There wasn't a relationship. He…didn't _want_ a relationship. The past two months were spent trying to get Wally to…fall _out_ of love with Richard Grayson, and somehow the incident with the Titans simply showed skeletons that were better off staying in closets. How was he supposed to feel knowing that this entire time, Wally _liked_ him? More than a friend and—

Well, this explained why Wally told Dick he never saw 'Rob' as a bro.

"Nice one, Grayson." Dick pulled the wetsuit over his body, shivered at the elasticity he knew would hurt later, and was sure to refuel his oxygen tanks. Fueling his rebreather, Dick opened the hatch as silently as possible and broke the surface of dark blue water.

His eyes adjusted once again, looking at his surroundings and seeing Poseidonis at least six-hundred feet away from the ship, and then he picked a direction just to swim.

Swinging off ledges and leaping through buildings was really more of his thing. It was easier to think, easier to conjure up thoughts, but swimming would do. Wally was into running, Roy liked beating people up until they bled, Megan probably flew or baked. Swimming was Kaldur's thing, but he could make do with it.

All he needed was two minutes without Wally at his side, so he could think. No mission, no Kaldur and Bruce down his throat—just him.

Just his luck that only a few feet away from him, Aquagirl, Kaldur, and…someone else caught his sight. Through the mask, Robin squinted, then blinked. Tula. They'd met once over a year ago, but after that, they never kept in touch. As far as he knew, Tula preferred her home in Atlantis.

Aquagirl quickly spotted him, leaning over with an arched eyebrow before calling him over. Which of course, got the attention of Kaldur and then Tula, who gave him different looks. _For God's sake_. Dick bit back the horrible temptation to stick his tongue out at his leader.

Kaldur had told him _weeks_ ago not to cause trouble with Wally, but he never thought this fight would escalate to…_this_ degree.

Forcing a smile, Dick waved a hand and crossed his arms. "'Sup?"

Tula looked the same. Flamboyant red hair (seriously, what was it with him and redheads lately? Alexa, Starfire, _Tula —_) and pretty eyes. She was tall, eloquent, and giggled approvingly before turning to Aqualad.

And of course, Kaldur played interpreter. "She says she barely recognized you. And that you've gotten taller."

A small smile cracked across Robin's face. "Tell her she's pretty."

It was funny watching his leader blink, the red surfacing formally across his cheeks beore he lowered his gaze and addressed one of his best friends. Tula clung to the same expression before laughing softly and—the next thing Robin knew, he was getting engulfed in a hug.

"It is…pleasant," Tula stumbled through her words, "to…meet you."

"Same." Er, Robin awkwardly patted her on the shoulder, smile spread across his lips before he pulled away. "Where's Garth?"

At the mention of the name, suddenly all three of them became crestfallen. He knew immediately that he shouldn't have asked, from the frown that formed tragically across Tula's face and Kaldur's supporting grasp. Aquagirl—or Lorena, as Kaldur kept calling her, stepped forward with a struggled smile.

"He got caught up in the vortex, according to those other side."

Oh. "I—" Dick turned his head, eyes wide with surprise, and squeezed Tula's arm gently. "I'm so sorry, Tula. I didn't mean to upset you." Apologies were luckily universal, because the next thing he knew, Tula was giving him another hug, comforting and warm.

"It is...swell, Robin." Tula smiled softly.

"There _is_ a chance that he's alive," he pointed out. A big chance—and he would have hated to tell her otherwise. The last time he was there, he saw full well how smitten both Garth and Kaldur were with her. To stress her out would have been an utmost shame.

Kaldur translated, and through her broken gaze, Tula happily lit up.

"So far Superboy and Miss Martian haven't reported anything wrong," Aquagirl explained. Her eyebrows furrowed carefully and she placed a hand on her hip before smiling. "So once Tula arrived, we were discussing Kaldur's status as Aqualad, and his position as a leader."

"Oh?" This quirked the Boy Wonder's interest.

"My position as Aqualad's lieutenant was not given lightly." Her eyes glimmered softly and she gestured to Kaldur as he and Tula, too, blinked in confusion. This wasn't common knowledge. And then slowly, she said the message in Atlantean, where Robin could only catch the words, 'strategist' and 'promote.'

Kaldur's face twisted in a mixture of shock and…something else, Robin couldn't quite place his finger on, and Tula gasped in delight. She placed her hands over her mouth before throwing arms around his shoulders into a warm hug, delightfully saying the rest.

"Ms. Lorena…" Kaldur's eyes widened. "I—"

"Aquagirl, Aqualad." Her eyes shined knowingly (though Dick wasn't sure _why_) before Aquagirl bowed her head and giggled. "It'd be an honor."

Dick frowned. "What'd she—"

_**BOOM**_

If possible, the entire _ocean_ quaked and resonated from the impact. Dick found himself suddenly shielded by Lorena's arms as Kaldur did the same for Tula.

Brain rattling back and forth in his head, Robin groaned and clutched his helmet tightly. "What happened?"

"_GUYS! EVERYONE_!" Megan's voice suddenly came bursting through all their heads, and once again, Robin balled a hand against his aching hair. _"I-It's Black Manta! His henchmen just got past me and they're heading toward the city!" _

"What was that?" Aquagirl's fingers knotted through her hair and she grimaced.

"Telapathy. Long story, no time," Robin quickly supplied.

"_R-Robin, you're gonna have to come and make repairs __**now**__, otherwise Black Manta's going to—to—"_

"Right _now_? There isn't any time, I don't have any of the parts and—" And he'd been contemplating about _Wally_ during the time he could have gotten real work done. Aside from a few nuts and bolts, he had _nothing._ _Damn it. _

"She has a point," Kaldur interrupted, and they set a course toward Poseidonis's first gate, Tula and Aquagirl at their side. "Robin, you have to—"

"_N-No_,_ Aqualad, that's the point. They're—" _Megan gulped, and unfortunately it was loud enough for all of them to hear. _"—they're not just looking to infiltrate Poseidonis, they're looking to __**kill**__ the mechanic that wants to fix it to." _

Crap. "Actually, I've come to realize that's really nothing new when you're me—"

Manta henchmen—at least twenty of them, all charging after them. Batman trained him for underwater combat, but he'd never had to use it agilely.

Especially since all twenty of them were all targeting _him._

Dick swam above the first five that dove for his body, quickly smashing their heads together before swimming to duck a ray at his stomach. He whipped out a batarang, landing on a seventh Manta henchman's shoulders before jabbing it violently in his helmet.

He grinned. "Haha_ha._"

"_This doesn't look like it's in our favor," _Aqualad stressed. He whipped out his water bearers, and suddenly twin swords were jabbing the lackies left and right. At a glance, Robin saw their leader cringe when one got too close, and suddenly Kaldur was screaming Atlantean in all their heads.

Aquagirl and Tula pulled away from their villains and Robin bit back a grimace. He didn't _know_ Atlantean. The next thing he knew. Tula had bulleted his way, yanking him by the arm and they dove deeper into the waters.

"_Robin_," Kaldur finally said, _"Follow Tula to safety!" _

Oh.

She smiled nervously, but reassuringly before saying one word only: _"_Come_." _

Robin nodded hurriedly, ducking an explosive thrown by one of Manta's idiots and swam by her side as they fell deeper into the sea until both Aquagirl and Aqualad were nearly out of sight.

He didn't expect for one of the fishweirdoes to _swim faster_, yank Tula by the ankle, and toss her aside. She screamed, and quickly Robin turned around, three operating batarangs in his grasp—"AH!"

There were two of them. Fishweirdo Number One had a ray, the other had a dagger, and now Robin was being held high in the water with a hand cutting off his air supply. Both leered, the smirks and cruelness easily heard in their voices, and Robin choked once more.

They spoke in Atlantean, and he only caught one word: _death. _

Crap. Crap, crap, _crap_.

"Uh, you mind letting me go?" He reached for his utility belt—which was now getting probed by Fishweirdo Number Two, and attempted to elbow him in the stomach. No avail. And Tula had hit something _hard_ with her head—something that wasn't easy to shake off if you were a rookie.

Fishweirdo Number One, who was holding the dagger, sniggered loudly under his breath. He raised his free hand—Dick quickly judged the angle—and, _shit._ Fishweirdo Number One jabbed it into his stom—

"Rob!"

Best friend to the rescue. Robin opened the eyes he hadn't realized he closed, and the glimpse of red hair—_his best friend's_ red hair—caught his attention. A rough groan left his lips, and the next thing he knew, Kid Flash was flying his way and grabbed Fishweirdo Number Two by the collar, Tula also by his side.

Number Two let out a disgruntled yell as Kid Flash pushed him away with all his might, and Tula's hands _glowed_, before she punched him in the stomach. Whoa, girl power.

He struggled to get free from Number One's clutch and—skillfully flexed, elbowing him painfully right between the legs.

Which luckily confirmed the guy was _male_ as he yelled in pain. Kid Flash's hand was yanking on Dick's shoulder before the Boy Wonder had the chance to process the situation, and Tula shouted loudly in Atlantean which was apparently good enough for Kid.

"How many times have I save your butt today?" Wally wasn't happy. _Big surprise. _"Let's see—the guard, before Aquagirl showed up, the portal, when you nearly got trapped on the other side, and, _just freaking now_, when you nearly got _shanked._"

"You," Robin snapped, clearly not happy either, "make it sound like it was _my_ fault, you idiot! And—thanks."

"Yeah? Y-You're welcome." It was when Robin finally realized Wally wasn't keeping steady airflow, and a fog of red seeped out from his back. Wally was _bleeding_—badly. Before he could make a comment about it as he swam behind the speedster, Wally beat him to it. "It'll heal."

"Wally—" It would attract _sharks_. And, not only that…

"I'm your _bodyguard_, and it's in a day's work. I've had worse, and you've been there to prove it." Wally gave him a sharp look before increasing his pace so they were hovering closer to Tula. "C'mon. We've got to get you to safety and—probably call the league, if Kaldur hasn't yet. This is serious business."

"Alright." The dial on Wally's tank was nearing the 'E,' for empty. Unsettled, Robin's gaze stayed fixated on the cold glass and he shivered, nearly blinded by blood. Wally…needed the oxygen more, than he did.

Quickly and silently, he held his breath, detaching one of the valves to his tank and pulling away Wally's—carefully, before replacing it with his own.

The jerk was loud enough for Wally to turn his head. "What was that?"

"Nothing," the Boy Wonder quickly murmured back, and he felt his head grow light. "Keep swimming. And stay close."

**xxxxxx**

**Author's Note: **

Soo. Hi. :D

_Preview: _"_TULA, WE'VE GOTTA SWIM FASTER, __**NOW.**__"_


	20. Sacrifice

**Sacrifice. **

The wound on his shoulder blade was absolutely, freaking _painful._ One moment, Wally remembered escorting Robin to the Bioship, discussing the 'wormhole' theory to alleviate the tension, and then falling asleep to the sounds of Robin tinkering in the cockpit. Now here they were, running—well, _swimming_ for their freaking lives in attempt to avoid fishy weirdoes and—as of the long gash that he estimated stemmed from his side to the small of his back, sharks.

He knew Tula and he knew Garth, but the language barrier between them had to be one of the crappiest he'd ever face.

"C'mon," Wally said loudly. Right now, Black Manta was after _Rob_, and it wasn't shaping up to doing any good. The Boy Wonder lagged behind him a good three feet as they approached denser pressure, and quickly the speedster dragged his best friend by the arm, closer. Far be it from him to actually leave Rob in the dust while they escaped, and to his surprise, Rob didn't protest.

But the paleness was there. Color was lost from Robin's cheeks and the younger teenager staggered as he swam. Tula had made them swim deeper into a crevasse and they approached a cave deep at the bottom. He could feel his ears pop from the pressure and suddenly even the suit felt suffocating.

And Robin looked ill. Completely lifeless, barely breathing and—

He wasn't even conscious.

"_TULA, WE'VE GOTTA SWIM FASTER, __**NOW.**__" _Wally yanked Robin by his arm, quick to wrap his own body against the boy and all of a sudden, forgot _all_ of the emergency, _what happens if you drown in the freaking water_ knowledge that was taught to them. He kicked his legs sharply, ignoring the tug his metabolism had on the rest of his body and skyrocketed past Tula deeper into the cave—up.

"Wally!" Which was unfortunately one of the only words she knew in English.

Wally clutched Robin tightly to his chest, showed his best friend by the helmet, and Tula gasped.

"He is drowning!" she vocalized, and _thank god_ she realized the situation. Tula swam far faster than Wally could keep up, and he took it as his sign to follow.

_Dammit_. Wally gripped the numb body in his arms and followed after her as fast he could—dammit the water, dammit the fact he couldn't _swim_ as fast as he could run without wearing up his metabolism, _dammit_, Robin was…

There was a tank between them. The strain between their bodies, the tightness and the metal tubing that flexed and scraped against his body suit—was a valve. An oxygen valve that—

"You didn't," Wally realized, and he forced himself to keep going; to not stop. No…nonono, Robin… "You _did._"

Robin gave him the rest of the oxygen.

"Wally!" Tula stood at the end of the cave, and instead of flying further and deeper, she pointed above them. "Up!"

"Good," Wally seethed, and he boiled with rage, pushing up into the brink of the water. Robin had grown numb that he was turning _blue_, and the panic boiled in his stomach. Salt water pressed against the hidden nooks and crannies of his body, temping to drag him down back into the water. It was worse trying to pull a near dead—_nono, don't say it like __**that**__—_body alongside with him, and quickly his grip tightened over his best friend as they broke the surface.

Heaviness slammed the redhead from above, the water dense on his muscles. Wally sucked in a breath and pulled his best friend over his shoulder. He dragged Robin (Robin's _limp body_) across the ground onto hard rock and ripped the helmet off his head. It was a wonder he didn't just _vibrate it off. _

Beneath the helmet, Robin's alabaster flesh was even paler. Sicker, with a pigment of gray as his head lulled to the side. Wally yanked off the helmet, flung the empty(ing) oxygen tank to the other end of their temporary hideout, and ripped off Robin's chest plate. He pulled the zipper of the Boy Wonder's uniform halfway down his chest and pressed an ear to the other teen's heart.

Right beside him, Tula stood awkward and out of place with a look of concern across her face. She fell to her knees next to the other redhead and brought nimble fingers to his shoulder, squeezing softly to catch his attention. He looked back, pained and feeling his own heart hammering in his chest. Wally's throat swelled and his eyes moistened.

Robin wasn't breathing.

"Ican'thearhim," Wally whispered hurriedly. And everything he was taught in health class immediately came to mind. Tula made a sound as the speedster went from being inactive and still to immediately moving. Wally placed both hands on the center of Robin's chest and pumped. He tilted Robin's head back, running the procedure through his head thoroughly and covered Rob's mouth on his own.

_Please live. _

He pushed down harder, ignoring trembling fingers and felt his body warm all over in panic.

_Pleaselive. _

…twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty—chest compressions, more air, and checking for a pathway. Wally choked on his own spit, desperately ignoring the panic that bubbled in his chest. Robin was still pale in the face, open mouth and cold to the touch. Dear _god. _

Wally's breath hitched on the next attempt, feeling dizziness scrape the inside of his head, and darkness surround the corner of his eyes. He pressed his forehead to Robin's stomach and curled his hands into the gravel ground.

_God. Dick. _

And still, _nothing. _

"_Stupid_," Wally hissed beneath his breath, digging gloved hands into moist minerals, "_Stupid, stupid, stupid_ Dick. God—just—" _**Why? **__What the fuck is wrong with this kid? _"—_Why did you give me your tank, you __**dumbass?! **_W-Which one of us doesn't have superpowers, you f-freaking _i-idiot…_"

The hand reappeared on his shoulder again, and he couldn't take comfort in the fact that it was _Robin's. _Tula leaned over to pull him off the younger hero, with the realization settling in. Tears formed across her face and she clasped a hand over her lips to hide a sad cry.

As a last effort, Wally palmed the boy's chest one more time, his face flushing surreally. "H…He's not waking up, Tul."

Yeah. Tell that to the girl who had no idea how to speak English. They were _stranded_ in a dead end, a-and…he c-couldn't think straight—and there wasn't anyone _here_ to at least speak the s-same _language_ and him, and pretty soon, all _three_ of them were going to be dead.

All because Robin thought it was _dutiful_ to give his life.

"_Dammit!_' he hissed into the air again, this time pounding a fist into Robin's chest, maybe to leave a bruise. Because beneath the shock and depression was anger. _"Why?! _Why do you think it was a good idea to give me that tank?! I-I'm supposed to bail _you_ out of trouble, n-not the other way around! Why do I even _need_ that dumb t-tank?"

"I," Tula broke his rampant, clutching his arm between both her hands with a saddened look on her face, "I-I am sorry."

She reached over, arms extended. Staring at them numbly, Wally buried himself into the Atlantean teen, his heart trembling in his chest. Just…n-no. They couldn't go through the mission if…i-if—

Dick was dead. R…Rob was dead.

Suddenly there was a cough—a sharp sound that came from neither redhead. They turned their heads, looking back down to the youngest teenager lying haphazardly in front of them. His chest heaved, stomach collapsing as the Boy Wonder reanimated, and the opaque lenses of the mask wiggled.

Silence.

Throwing himself back onto the boy, Wally pressed fingers to the side of Rob's neck. "R…Richard?" There was a pulse beneath his hand. A soft one—b-but a _pulse. _Again, he asked, "_Richard?"_

A hand reached up, long fingers extending around his wrist. Wally's heart skipped a beat, eyes watching Robin's head fall faintly to the side and press his cheek against the speedster's knuckles. All he wanted to do right now was rip that dumb mask off his face and see those bright blue eyes. Robin didn't smile, but he was definitely moving. "I'm okay."

"You're a fucking _idiot._" Wally threw his arms around the boy and brought Robin into his grip. Had Rob always been this tiny? So…m-movable? Clawing at the teen's shoulder blades, he breathed in the scent of sea water and pressed a warm cheek to the Boy Wonder's cold one. He was still loose, reminding Wally of a lifeless doll, but this time he could feel the gentle tremor in Dick's chest against his own. "Don't you _ever_ do that again, you _got it?_"

"You're still bleeding," Dick whispered faintly in his ear. Fingers curled against the long slit at the redhead's side, and suddenly Wally shivered.

"All of that stress—must've opened it back up," Wally murmured beneath his breath, but _god_, he didn't care. And then, he was angry again. Dick was no better than a sack of potatoes in his arms, still recovering. He pulled away and glared at the younger teen. "You could have _died._"

"And who's the idiot that forgot to refuel his _tank_?" Rob let out a cruel laugh, though even to the speedster's ears it sounded like it hurt. Kid Flash looked around the cave, searching for his discarded helmet. Without a care for Rob's opinion, he slid the Boy Wonder over his back, cringed as the fresh wound beneath his fallen friend ached, and stood to his feet.

For a heartbeat he waited, feeling Robin's effortful conscious as the smaller teen looped arms around Wally's neck. KF leaned over until he could feel Robin's icy cheek against his own. He was sure he wasn't in better shape—Wally was even stumbling, feeling the heat in his ears and lightheadedness in his mind. But—so long as Dick was _breathing_ against him, Wally didn't _care._

"Don't scare me again," he said above a whisper. Wally's voice spiked an octave, sounding like a child and unfamiliar to himself. "I don't want you dead, dude."

His chest ached at the thought of what he would do without Rob. If…there were any question, of whether or not his feelings were genuine for Dick Grayson, then this would be it. Thinking about how the day had gone between them made Wally feel like a jerk. He wanted to go back to the surface world and bury himself in a hole for getting into useless arguments with his best friend. Things were better, when it was just _Wally and Richard_ and none of the superhero stuff got in the way.

Wally was willing to do whatever it took for his best friend, regardless of being turned down.

"Now you know how I feel," Robin murmured groggily at his neck. But, no—Wally wasn't quite sure how to respond to that.

"Stay awake," Wally snapped, and he clutched both of the teen's thighs cautiously. "You're going to freak me out if you go nappy-time again."

"Will do." Dick's voice trailed off—which, at this point, wasn't much of a comfort.

Meeting eyes with Tula, he realized she witnessed the entire thing with a curious look upon her face. The Atlantean pressed a hand to her lips, thoughtful, with both beautiful eyebrows raised wondrously in the air. Vision funny, the speedster couldn't read the look on her face.

He wobbled once more, unsteady as his ankles cracked beneath him. Luckily, Robby was too out of it to point this out—or freak out. _Pass out later, Walls. This isn't a good time. _So, Wally seethed and tapped his comm.-link. It was already on, with Kaldur talking urgently on the other end.

"—_lad to Kid Flash—__**state your location. **__Status report. __**Aqualad **__to Kid Flash—"_

"Kid Flash to Aqualad. _Chill_,_" _Wally cut him off without meaning to. God, he wasn't in good condition for this. His head throbbed, voice slurring just slightly, and he pressed one of his hands to his face. "T-Tula's fine. We got ambushed—D—Rob's barely conscious. I…I've got him though." _I saved him._

In the background, he could make out the vague sound of Superboy's grunts and underwater gunfire. Yet still, there was a hitch before Kaldur finally spoke again. _"Give the comm.-link to Tula. Please." _

Blinking, Wally did just as he was told. Tula flashed him a look, clearly confused before nodding steadily. She placed the comm. to her ear with ease—probably after spending so much time around Queen Mera and Aquaman—and spoke tentatively to Young Justice's leader. With another pause, very Kaldur-like, she animated, throwing her arms in the air and demeanor stretching in both concern and panic.

But at _least_ there was someone else to share the game plan with. And finally, Wally could move his legs on open land, even of his feet felt like cinderblocks. He focused his attention on the Boy Wonder in his grasp, whose breathing came steadily.

"Richard?" Wally asked—just to make sure he was okay. "Richard—"

"It's Dick," Robin murmured—tiresomely. Then, "Robin."

"Batman is going to _kill_ you," Wally snapped, voice still fuzzy in his ears.

"Yeah," the other teen responded, with a bit of bite in his tone, "and Flash is going to kill _you._"

Fair point. Wally let out a sound, feeling his knees buckle beneath him before falling to the ground, calves extended and Robin still perched tightly on his back. The water pressure and resistance was been struggle enough for him to get to 'land.' When the Manta-Lackey slashed him, he assumed the cut went deeper than originally thought. And—from the way Rob wiggled on it, he guessed it hadn't closed yet.

Wally shut his eyes and looked back to Tula. She turned around like a typical girl, hiding her face from two battered teenage boys and continued worriedly over the link. Faintly, the Atlantean teen reminded Wally of some sort of mythical princess. No wonder Kaldur liked her so much.

The ground beneath their feet trembled. It pulsed, nearly knocking KF over once more. He clutched Rob behind him carefully and clutched his teeth.

Another _boom_ caught his attention.

Robin perched, but not as nearly awake as he usually was. "Explosives."

_Boom. _Another one.

"Explosives," Wally agreed—only, more urgently. He flicked his head in the direction of their third comrade and attempted to stand on his feet. "Tula—"

_BOOOM!_

"TULA!"

The girl in question shouted in surprise, jumping over a blue rock while Kid Flash twisted his footing (yowling in pain, as he pressed awkward weight to one of his ankles) and shot to the other corner of their arena. More henchmen appeared, all popping from the water like daisies with guns knotted under their arms. The comm.-link in Tula's grasp was now on the ground, stomped on by Henchman Number One.

_Shit. _Wally's gaze flitted between the super baddies to Tula, who stood at the other end with fear apparent in his eyes. On his back, Robin jerked, moving his legs against Kid's legs for the first time.

"Lemme go," the Boy Wonder grumbled.

"What?" Wally snapped, and he tossed an incredulous look over his shoulder. "You're kidding, right? I gotta protect you, _and_ Tula—"

From that angle, Rob found a way to kick him. "I said, _let me go._" He dropped to his feet, swaying both left and right before clutching his underwater-adapted utility belt between his fingers. The moment he landed, all the henchmen turned their heads.

Robin laughed. Wally's stomach clenched.

It was sickening and thin, almost making Wally want to puke. Robin snickered breathily. "You ready to get your _butts kicked_ by some gawky teenagers?"

"_Rob_," Wally hissed, and he bared his teeth. Reaching out, the speedster was met with a diffident shoulder.

"You take the four ugly dudes on the left," Robin said instead, "and I'll take the four ugly dudes on the right. Ready? Set—"

"_Rob_!" Kid voiced his name again, more vehement.

"_Go._"

Without another choice, Rob sprinted into the battle scene. His steps were heavy, body skewed, and jumps ragged. Robin leaped over Goon Number One and rammed an elbow into Goon Number Two. Shock registering in Wally's head, he knew better than to trust Rob's precision (or there lack of.) He sprinted through the room and punched down his Ugly Dude Number Four. From the corner of his eye Tula had been backed into a corner with the fear registered on her face. Two of the goons negated from attacking them to _her. _

"_Watch out!_"

"Whoa!" Wally dodged as a manta sting was thrown his way. He seethed under his breath and kicked it harshly into the open pool of water as it ticked. There was a high-pitched beep before the cave dwelling trembled again, red embers exploding from the pool. Rob's eyes remained fixated on him, feet toeing the ground tensely and batarang in his hand.

Snapping out of his stupor, Wally bulleted toward Tula, taking down enemies as he did so. KF pivoted on his feet, blinking the throbbing black spots out of his vision and grabbed her—just as another minion whipped out a dagger. Wally whirled his body, placing himself in front of the Atlant—

"KF_!" _

—and cried out in pain as it dug hilt-deep into his side, just like the cut on his back. Before the shock could settle in, Wally hooked ankles with the super-baddy and tripped him. Blood oozed from the crescent-shaped cut, cascading down his leg in deep syrup. Out of instinct he grabbed Tula and broke into another run—before falling flat on his face. Pain stung, clawing at his insides, and darkness spliced through his vision as sharply as that sword. Tula went tumbling in the center of their heap.

KF choked, blood surfacing at the end of his mouth and lost the feeling in his legs. _Shit. Shit, shit, shit—…it…t….sh…_

Robin leaped into the scene, his boots pressing at the end of Wally's side. Ocean water b…burst, echoing faintly in the speedster's ears. His best friend collapsed to his knees, and hands prickled across Wally's back with a roll of curses spewing from Rob's lips. "Your bleeding. It's getting worse—"

"—ly…breathe," the redhead argued under his breath. Robin could barely _breathe._ He was still blue in the face, head stretched at an awkward angle with half of his mask ripped off. Robin's fingers trembled, soaking his gloves in Kid Flash's wounds.

Wally could barely see what was in front of him. He could make out a faded blue speck on Dick's face, right where his eyes were supposed to be, a…and a frown stretched across his face…

"…n't die, please, _don't die…_" Robin murmured monotonously under his breath. "_Dammit!_"

Tendrils of water grabbed the incoming henchmen, and it was the last thing Wally remembered seeing.

**xxxxxx**

Tula had been urgent on the comm.-link, telling Kaldur hurriedly that both Kid Flash and Robin were injured. They managed to divert Black Manta's attention away from Poseidonis—but the problem now was that every one of Manta's minions heeded word of the _technician's _whereabouts. Superboy and Miss Martian knocked out a plethora of goons, and now they were back on the Bioship, rushing to the Siren Cavern as Tula instructed them.

No technician meant the zeta-beam portal could not be fixed. Aquaman would not be reunited with his wife. Civilians were in danger. His _best friend, _Garth, and his first love's _lover_ at the moment ceased to exist, and Tula was outnumbered by other villains. Kid Flash and Robin, two operatives that were _experts_ at their age were down and—

A hand was placed on his shoulder. Snapping out of violent ministrations, Kaldur's gaze was met with Lorena, whose demeanor remained calm, with a small smile. "Everyone is fine. Robin is more tactful than you think."

"I already hold him in high opinion," Kaldur said back pointedly. He paused, bowed his head, and let his expression fidget. "I apologize. I am just…anxious."

"Anxious for you is still polite." Through the stress for their people was light mirth in Queen Mera's new apprentice. Aquagirl's lips etched into a small, focused smile and she tilted her head, reminding Kaldur of the girl they'd saved over a year ago.

Taking in a breath, Kaldur nodded and turned his head toward M'gann. "What is our ETA on Siren Cavern?"

M'gann flashed a look to him, gaze calculating and on the mission. She jerked her head. "One minute, thirty seconds."

Good. Turning to his two teammates again, Kaldur's eyes narrowed to the pair. He activated stealth-mode on his uniform and clutched his waterbearers between his fingers. "Suit up."

The Bioship was put into camo-mode, hovering above the rock formation. It was at least ten miles out from Poseidonis, consisting of a tunnel that led to a small nearby town for some of the students in the academy. It doubled as a hangout place, with a sorcery-made airway if one swam up. There needn't be another guess where their teammates were.

Deploying from the hatch, Aqualad and Aquagirl both sprinted a further distance than both M'gann and Superboy. Kaldur looked over his shoulder, flashing another look in their resident telepath's way. _"Keep the mental link up. It is our best weapon against Black Manta." _

She nodded. _"Right._"

Goons were clustered together, all gathered at the small entrance into the Siren Cavern. Nearby was a submarine, parked pertinently. Aqualad scowled, his hands curling immediately to his waterbearers. Again, a hand appeared over his wrist, and Aquagirl flashed him a mischievous look.

"_Propel me." _

Kaldur's train of thought hitched, confused. _"What—?" _

"_Aquagirl and Aqualad together." _Flashing another devilish grin, Lorena twisted expertly, leaving Kaldur no other choice but to follow.

His tattoos glowed and he summoned a whirlpool at the girl's request. The water buzzed at his skin, and Aquagirl leaped into the fire. She matched axels with the whirlpool, hands jutted out and joined the waves. Coming to a sudden halt, Kaldur only watched in surprise as the girl made an audible sound, then collided with three henchmen. Lorena, swift with her footing, kicked another one out of the way. Miss Martian and Superboy halted beside him, matching his look of surprise.

"She would make a good addition to the Team," Superboy pointed out firmly.

"She would," Kaldur agreed, and another goon had been knocked out. _If_ they hadn't been discussing his debatable promotion to co-lieutenant of Aquaman's regiment only hours ago. Pushing away the gut-wrenching feeling, he dived into battle himself. No time to worry about that. Not now. _"Knock out the minions. We need to block their entrance and get up there to Kid, Robin, and Tula." _

"_Got it_," said his three teammates.

Doing that was easy enough. Kaldur sliced away three goons. They went away from the entrance, finding new bate instead and lunged forward to the four of them. Taking a water bearer, he jabbed it in one goon's jaw and electrocuted another few.

Miss Martian had taken the ship and knocked out ten of them. Even underwater, Superboy was able to take one by the arm and fling the minion into his comrade. Once they were all disarmed and helpless, Miss Martian gathered them all telepathically and pushed them back into the submarine.

A smirk curled against Aquagirl's lips, eyes flickering impishly. She 'dusted' off her hands and nudged her ocean comrade with her trident. "We make a good team."

"Glad to be of service." Though, Kaldur couldn't help but feel his cheeks warm. Superboy's face twisted in a way that reminded the Atlantean of both Wally and Robin.

They broke the surface of the water only seconds later, and were met with the scene of more of Black Manta's regime. Aqualad's eyes scanned the area nervously, noting the fallen goons on the ground—and Tula, who stood over a paling Robin and an unconscious Kid Flash. Black Manta stood in the center, protected by his underlings as they charged toward the girl viciously without a care.

Not good. Expression darkening, Kaldur turned to his three other teammates, who nodded silently. _"Take out the underlings. __**I**__ will handle Manta. Split up." _

"_Right."_

They managed to surf the water with no detection. Aquagirl and he skirted right, while Superboy and Miss Martian swam left. Another brigade of troopers sought after Tula, like well-oiled machines. She summoned tendrils of water, knocking four of them into the water, and pressed fingers to the wet floor to conduct a trail of electricity.

However, Atlantean sorcery could be detrimental, even to the best-conditioned students. Robin was down on his knees, teeth clattering and face turning a sickening shade of blue. Knowing his comrade, Kaldur could only grimace. Robin _pushed_, and as of this moment, pushed _too hard._ And—seeing trembling hands soaked in red, they needed to get Kid to an infirmary ASAP. An undetected underling leaped into the battle and hit Tula over the head. She shouted in pain.

_No. _His eyes widened.

Aquagirl tugging on his arm caught his attention. Her demeanor contorted, and she made a crooked gesture with her hand. _Up._

Kaldur nodded jerkily. _"Go._"

Superboy appeared from the water, leaping onto a solid platform and causing everything to tremble beneath his feet. There were only five left, with Black Manta being a sickening observer. The teen rammed a fist into one trooper's mask, cracking it as he did so, and swung him by the legs to take out another minion. They shouted, turning their attentions to the half-Kryptonian, which was when the other three team members struck.

Miss Martian appeared out of camo-mode, pulling two minions up with her telekinesis and bashed heads together. Kaldur summoned a typhoon, washing out all of the fallen men to the side while Lorena went to Tula, trident ready in hands.

That left Black Manta to Aqualad. The man looked at him, tall with his arms crossed, and helmet glowing. Kaldur narrowed his eyes and felt the chills run up his arms.

"I see you're still foolish enough to serve that worthless king," Black Manta spat.

"My king is a kindhearted man," Kaldur responded curtly, and twin sabers hovered at his water bearers. "Unlike yourself." They stood tensely apart from each other, Aqualad's feet digging into the ground and toes curling tensely.

"Little do you know, how invalid your opinion is, son."

Which was enough for Kaldur to charge forward. He instructed Miss Martian, Superboy, and Aquagirl to remain at Tula, Kid Flash, and Robin's sides—to see what medical care was needed, but realized they were frozen in place. Combining both sabers into a mace, he let out a grunt and struck the man in his torso. Manta slammed a gauntlet into the construct, breaking it with inhuman ease.

He raised his head, an automated chuckle coming from his helmet, and the next thing Kaldur knew, he was being struck with laser beams, hitting his head on the cavern floor.

"Aqualad!" someone shouted.

Superboy joined the line of fire, creating a dent in Black Manta's breastplate with his feet. Coming to, Kaldur's tattoos illuminated an incandescent blue. He pulled water from the pool, knocking Manta off his feet, and jutted his bearers into a puddle. Electricity crackled, lashing across the bridge of water and overtook the criminal. Black Manta shouted, as tongues of lightning struck him.

No matter his powers, Kaldur still consciously made sure the voltage was not enough to kill the man. He was mortal, with a human's endurance, leaving a hole in Kaldur's chest that let him show mercy. Once the electricity died down, Manta fell limp on the ground, defeated.

Then the helmet snapped off. It broke away, tattered from the violent strike of electricity, revealing Manta's face for the first time: an African American man with salt and pepper hair, and a shadow of a beard on his jaw.

Kaldur stared at the man oddly, unable to place the familiarity in Manta's face. Superboy, on the other hand, spared him a look of surprise. "Kaldur, he…looks like—"

"Master!" A lowly subordinate, one that had been previously unconscious reawakened from the far edge of the room. He darted toward his fallen superior, clutching the manta helmet in his hands. His own helmet was cracked, with a fear-filled eye staring at all of them in disbelief.

Kaldur could feel a headache arrive in temples. He summoned another saber, flicking his wrist solemnly. "Your ship is already in ruins. You leave _now_, away from Poseidonis, and we will not turn you in."

"_Is that really a good idea?" _Superboy reanimated, hands at his side and shock written across his face.

Turning around, Kaldur gave him a deafening look and shook his head tensely. They needn't interfere with matters now—especially when Wally was losing blood fast and—from the looks of it, Robin finally passed out.

"_They're still with us," _M'gann reassured, and she collected the Boy Wonder in her arms, as Lorena did with Wally. Her expression darkened and she grimaced. _"But Robin needs oxygen and Wally needs stitches. __**Now." **_

"You leave, and we won't have you as a prisoner." Kaldur jerked his saber in the direction of the pool of water. The trooper did not flinch. A scowl formed across Kaldur's face, more tense. "_Now._"

With a sudden splash, the Manta Trooper and Black Manta abandoned the rest of their comrades. Sifting through the heaps of men, Kaldur instructed Superboy to gather one and handcuff him. He met Tula, who had a line of bruises down the side of her face and a bloodied lip, and grimaced.

She looked back to him, eyes glowing, and placed a hand on his arm before speaking softly; more calmly than on the comm. "I am alright."

Kaldur looked to the battered state of both his teammates, and thought himself lucky that Tula did not return to him in the same condition. He swallowed grimly as the Bioship arose from the water, floating awkwardly above in the small cavern so they could board both Robin and Kid Flash.

"You would be better if Garth were here with you," he voiced, when it was just the two of them together.

"Yes," Tula agreed, and she smoothed the bead of water on the other Atlantean's arm. Her gaze twisted quietly and a small smile etched across her lips, tired from the consecutive events. "But to have you return—that is also good news. I only wish it was not temporary."

At that moment, Kaldur's eyes flitted to Lorena, who was last to board the ship. She looked at both of them evenly, a twinkle in her orbs that made sadness pang in his chest. "Perhaps that will not be temporary." But, before Tula could question him further about the ordeal, he continued with, "what happened? With Kid and Robin?"

Tula's demeanor faltered. She explained the events—from after negating Robin from the Manta Troopers, to Kid Flash's arrival and injury. Unbeknownst to the redheaded pair, Robin had swapped out Kid's oxygen tank with his own—just as Wally's was about to run out. The run-in at the cave with the Troopers caused both of them to sustain terrible injuries, just as they tried to protect her—and each other.

Once he heard everything, Kaldur could only shake his head.

It was not a surprise how much Kid and Robin would sacrifice for each other.

**xxxxxx**

A beeping heart monitor was a sound that he was getting irritatingly used to. Dick's entire body ached with every twitch and throat burned. He half expected to see Robin at his bedside, reminding him of the stresses in the alternative universe, and the uneasy foreshadowing the other teen had given him. He'd yet to tell Batman that Wally figured out his secret identity (out of _his_ own recklessness) and couldn't help the numbing fear of…of abandonment that came with it.

Normal teenagers his age would be worrying about gawky body parts and voice cracking. He had that _and_ the problem of being Batman's ward. Figured. Of the one percent of the population that hit more than just puberty, he had to be the one dealing with the Dark Knight.

His entire body was blazed with heat as he stirred, and Dick realized he'd been wrapped in at least three thermal blankets. An oxygen mask remained pressed to his face, practically melded into skin as blue eyes finally opened. Pain stirred until it struck bone and he shivered despite himself. He pushed into a sitting position and, like many times before, pulled the oxygen mask off his mouth. The pain shot through his body, causing him to clutch his arm, and he swallowed hard against the bile at the edge of his throat.

"So you're finally awake."

"Wally." The name left his mouth before he could even register what just happened. His throat ignited once more, black spots in his vision as he struggled to stay mounted to the bed. The 'bed' was a red cot inside the Bioship, glued to the wall with sheets from the HQ and a pillow for comfort, in case of long travel. The heart monitor and other medical equipment were tools that were stashed away, in case they were in a dire situation away from their mentors. To which, Robin grimaced.

There wasn't a Raven to heal his wounds like there was last time. Even wiggling his toes hurt. And the look Wally gave him—a look of _absolute fury _—made him want to hide himself beneath his blankets. The redhead had his head propped against the edge of the bed, lips pulled into an upturned frown and brow wrinkled together. His left eye was swollen shut, in a disgusting shade of purple. Wally had been stripped down to his boxers, with bandages wrapped around his torso and at his side.

Dick got off better. Maybe. Bandages were wrapped around his forehead, with various cuts and bruises on his bare back and stomach, with an arm that was now firmly wrapped in a sling. He found himself taking short breaths, with blades digging into his throat and lungs every time he tried to breathe. There was a long cut down his pale leg, but it was not deep as some of the wounds Wally received.

"Souvenir," the redhead mused faintly. He winced, burying his face into the flat cot. "Believe it or not, this is the damage _after_ they did some weird hocus pocus healing on us."

"You should be asleep." How in _earth_ did Wally wake up before him?"

"HA-Metabolism," the elder teen replied in a clipped tone. Then, his demeanor stretched, eyebrows pressing down in a vehement (though exhausted) glare and lips stretched with animosity. Dick expected Wally to yell. To scream at him for being an _idiot._ Instead, Wally pushed into a sitting position (on a chair the Boy Wonder didn't notice before) and asked in a quiet voice, "What the _hell_, Dick?"

He blanched. "Don't call me—"

"What makes you think you have the right to give me that oxygen tank?"

"I wouldn't have _given_ it to you if you had recharged—"

"_Yeah. _Okay, that was _my_ goof. I'm a fucking _idiot_ that didn't recharge the tank." Wally raised his voice, but it cracked at a certain pitch, and the strain hurt both their ears. Green eyes glistened with ferocity—then reminded Robin faintly of the day they'd been at Titans Tower. "But you were the one that left, Dick. You _left_ after I finally told you how I felt—how I've _felt_ in the past few years and I went to find you so we could put it past us."

_Put it past us? _

"Just—Just because you don't love me back doesn't mean I want to lose you as a friend!" The redhead _shouted_—and once the words reached his own ears, he seemed to freeze.

In an instant, Dick's cheeks blazed, face turning red from the bridge of his nose to the tips of each ear. He knotted the blankets tightly in his hand, face forming a solid wall as Wally seemed to lose his mind. He pushed the _'L' _word away, running the rest of the words through his head.

Bringing a hand to his aching head, the Boy Wonder shut his eyes and curled into himself. The incident replayed in his head, along with the anticipation he'd felt. It'd…honestly seemed like a good idea at the time. "You didn't have to take those hits for me, either."

Wally shouldn't even be moving. Flashes of _red_ returned to Dick's mind as it all trickled out of the speedster with no intention of stopping. The blood had soaked his uniform, dried on his flesh, and was now an ugly black beneath…Dick's own fingernails. His stomach clenched.

"You didn't have to give me your oxygen tank. Or, get back into the action when your heart _literally stopped beating. _Rob." Wally tentatively reached out, stroking the bare skin of the younger teen's calf. "Your mission was to get rid of the wormhole. My mission was to protect you, _so _you could fix the tube—"

"No."

"—_yes._ Look, you may put everything on the line when you're with Batman, but you need to expect me—_us_ to do the same."

"It doesn't _work_ that way, Wally—"

"Uh, _yeah_, it does, and you need to expect—"

"—you should have stayed in line—stayed out of trouble—"

"—we're a _team—_"

"I can't lose you."

Wally stopped short. Green eyes remained glued to the small boy curled into himself, doubling twice in side, and lips were frozen—open in that dumb way that usually guaranteed an unnecessary answer.

As the words left Dick's mouth, he buried his face in his knees and didn't care that his best friend was looking at him. For the first time in his life since becoming Robin, the Boy Wonder, he felt incredibly small. His heart thrummed faintly behind his ribcage, reminding him he was still alive—and still sane enough to recognize the situation. That humiliating fear of abandonment.

The cot didn't squeak or tremble as Wally crawled onto it, but Dick knew his best friend long enough that it would be the next move. Kicking Wally out of his bed now would have just been petty.

The hand on his calf tugged at his ankle, so _caring_ that his chest wanted to _burst_. Through the little gaps between his arms, blue eyes looked up and saw green stare at him pleadingly.

"Come again?"

Dick swallowed hard, licking at emotional wounds that pegged him gravely before he rested his chin on a forearm, forcing himself to lock gazes with the redhead parallel to him. "I can't lose you."

"Dick—"

"I can't," he echoed again, and it reverberated throughout the room in agonizing vibrato. Dick clawed at his own flesh and tugged his leg away. He curled his toes awkwardly into the cot and tried best to ignore the confusion and concern in Wally's demeanor. "Dude, I…I-I told you my back story. That's why."

Everything he had at this point in his life was a good thing. Looking _forward_ was the only way he could enjoy himself. And—with every occasional hitch—the craters in his current life that kept him from being at peace with himself—it simply became harder. Kid Flash fending against Joker scared him more than he realized—and with each mission and problem, the thought of his best friend remaining _alive_ had become a bigger, more selfish priority.

He considered counting his blessings that Wally figured it out so quickly. Kid Idiot could be a moron, but Wally by now, after months of talking to Robin _and _Richard Grayson, should have known him inside and out.

"You're afraid," the redhead translated, "that I'm going to die, and you're going to be lonely again."

The younger teen looked away, unable to meet the speedster's eyes. They remained silent with only the hum of the Bioship keeping them company. He hadn't even thought of what time it was. How long they were in the ship, if they were still even in Atlantis.

"_I'm_," Wally started again, his voice sounding foreign to the both of them, "afraid that you're not going to stop hating me after how all of this played out."

_What? _"Wally—no."

"'No,' what?" The edge of Wally's lips curled bitterly and he made ticks with his fingers, counting out their situation. "I've been friends with Richard Grayson since September, not telling my best friend I suspected it was him. I put him in a position where it _compromised_ his secret identity, and screwed both of us over by getting him kidnapped. I told him how I _felt_ about him, _kissed_ him, and used this dual identity thing as a way to force myself on you—thinking maybe, just maybe, my best pal may like me back."

Well, when he put it that way…no. Dick shut his eyes and made ticks out of his own fingers. "Your suspicion aside, I led _my_ best friend on and went along with this dual identity thing, making him think Dick Grayson and Robin were two separate people." Wally should have hated him.

"Well." The speedster paused, and he clutched his own ankle between his hands. A tired smile spread across his face and his shoulders reached his ears. "Then I guess we're both jerks."

Snort. "Jerks times infinity." Matching the redhead's demeanor, the dark-haired teen tossed his head back and let out a quiet snicker. He looked to the ceiling, lips still stretched from ear-to-ear—and found it hard to keep it. Smiling hurt too much. Looking back at Wally, Dick felt his heart skip a beat. He reached over, grasping a freckled hand between his own and bit the inside of his mouth.

The other teen's hand curled against his own, a pale thumb grazing over his knuckles. Wally's eyebrows knitted together. "Yeah?"

"I don't hate you. I-I could never hate you, dude." Taking it a step further, Dick crawled closer to the elder teen until their knees touched and…tentatively pecked him on the cheek.

Wally's eyes widened, turning as red as the ship, and Dick was getting there himself.

"Th-that doesn't mean I want to _date_ you e-either," he stammered quickly, sanguine blooming in his cheeks. Taking in a ragged breath, Dick gritted his teeth until they ached and bit the inside of his mouth. "But I don't want to lose you. You're my best pal, too. I…I definitely have strong feelings for you. I just…c…can't tell if they're positive or negative yet. Romantic or unromantic." Super un, too.

There was another hard silence without a response, looking as though Wally's brain had suddenly imploded. A red eyebrow twitched, forehead creasing, and Robin turned darker. It was a stupid kiss on the cheek. How bad could _that_ have been?

"Oh." Finally, there was an idiotic, high-pitched response. Returning to a healthy color, Wally's eyes spazzed out. He pressed a hand to his cheek and strengthened his grip over Robin's hand. "So. Friendzoned?"

"For now." Blue orbs narrowed, and he bit the inside of his mouth. "I…I-I'll give you a better response. Eventually. Someday." When he could finally find a way to compartmentalize Wally in the _good_ or _bad_ category.

The goofy, cheesy trademark Wally West grin spread across his lips—looking so happy that it was disturbing. "I can deal with that."

"Good." And—Dick believed him. For the first time since the universe-jump, it felt as though they could stand on common ground. Things could get back to normal, and..they could be friends. Normally. And. Now that Wally knew who Robin really was, this could actually work in their favor. Once…Bats found out.

He shivered. Best not to think about that now.

Instead, his heart beat complacently in his chest, and he leaned his head into the wall. Blue orbs looked up, scrutinizing every bit of Wally and the nervous smile that graced the doofus's lips.

He missed that smile.

Squeezing back just as hard on their intertwined hands, ebony bangs brushed into his vision, and Dick shyly leaned back against his cot. "You…wanna lay with me?"

Wally perked. That stupid smile only got wider, and a pleasant, _cute_ blush fluttered across the teen's face like an excited puppy. "Sure. I mean—_yeah._"

"Okay."

They laid down side-by-side, with Wally's warmth feeling better than the thermal blankets could ever be. Dick's back pressed against the wall while Wally's forehead was at his own. Red dusted across both their cheeks, and the Boy Wonder breathed in the scent of his best friend.

Axe body spray, potato chips, hydrogen peroxide, and a hoagie. Gross.

(It was awesome.)

Closing his eyes, Dick felt more relaxed than he did in weeks. He sighed, happy.

Really, _really_ happy. Wally's hand moved up his back, making soothing circles that would easily lull him back to sleep. It moved upward, cupping the boy's lithe face between steady fingers, and thumbed the bare flesh where Dick's mask would be.

Wait a minute.

His eyes shot open, wide in surprise. Dick padded his fingers, searching for his domino mask and—it wasn't there.

Wally's expression contorted, clearly not expecting the sudden movement. "Dude—?"

"My mask," Dick snapped back, and he searched around the room in hopes to find the black thing. It wasn't there. Turning back, irritation flared in his stomach and the feeling of betrayal. "What did you do with my _mask_?" _What the hell_?

"Dick. _Dick—_" Wally grabbed him by the arm in attempt to calm the teen down, and his expression twisted. Green eyes narrowed at him in confusion. "Your mask was already off when I woke up. I thought you took it off yourself."

"No, I." Dick's throat dried. "No, I didn't."

**xxxxxx**

**Author's Note: **

Hi. :Db


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